Royal Sacrifices
by The Immortal Hope
Summary: Caroline Forbes is a princess who defies tradition, so this is not a traditional fairy tale, this is the story of a young girl who has everything that matters to her taken away in a single night and what she is willing to sacrifice to the man who stole it. Caroline would give anything to help her people- even herself. (Caroline human/ Klaus Vampire). Renaissance Klaroline.
1. Black of Night

Welcome to Royal Sacrifices everyone! Fair warning, I have taken some liberties with the timeline and switched it up from cannon to fit with the period I wanted to write in and I know some people really don't like that so if you're one of them then this probably isn't the story for you. For the rest of you, enjoy…

Chapter 1:

Everyone loves fairytales- stories full of magical creatures, beautiful princesses, far off kingdoms, and charming princes, we were all told these stories as children and they always ended with those three magical words; _happily ever after._ There were evil witches to hate and brave heroes to root for- but sometimes those lines can blur, after all most of your favorite fairytales were altered before being told to you. They were made happy and bright; watery graves became beautiful wedding gowns _,_ impregnating rape became slaying a dragon and an eye opening kiss, blind and abandoned in a dessert became a simple haircut. All of these stories have been watered down from their original versions to be made inoffensive to tiny ears, but I refuse to do that. Believe whatever happy delusion you would like about the life of Ariel, Aurora, or Rapunzel, but there is a princess who's story you haven't heard because I can assure you, there is very little happy about it. This story has magical creatures but not the kind any Disney artist would animate, it has a beautiful princess at its heart but not one who counts on love or a man to save her when her life falls apart, the kingdom is certainly far off but I guarantee you will find no happy fairies flying around it, and of course there is a prince and he is very handsome and very charming, but that just might be what makes him so dangerous.

Caroline Forbes is a princess who defies tradition and so her story must be told in a way that does her justice. This is not a traditional fairy tale. The princess' best friend is not a colorful fish, she is a powerful witch, and as for the hero? Well you may need to broaden your definition of the word. Or choose a new word all together, perhaps one of the following: Power, love, _blood._

We begin of course how all fairy tales do: Once upon a time…

there was a magical kingdom cursed by many dark forces but equally blessed with prosperity and magical gifts. Many things happened there that could not be explained. Since its founding the Mikaelson family had sat on the throne of the Mystic Kingdom, but a time came over a century ago when the king was found to be unable to produce children. Though he went through as many wives as England's own King Henry, no heir could be conceived and when the king fell ill the kingdom was weak. In this time of weakness a new family rose up, a family that brought hope to the people, a family that was good and just and respected within the Kingdom. They swiftly claimed the throne for themselves and thus began the reign of the Forbes'. For over a hundred years now the kingdom has been at peace under the rule of this new royal family.

But there is a piece of this country's history that no book will tell you. What nobody knew was that the final Mikaelson king had not been born sterile but rather became that way as the result of a vengeful witch's spell. In the days of his youth the foolish king impregnated a village girl named Ayana and left her to be disgraced with the illegitimate child, a baby boy whom she named Mikael so that he would never forget that though he was destined to grow up poor, he was a royal. The child's mother cast a spell upon the king decreeing that until he accepted this child he should bear no more. And so he didn't.

Mikael grew up very poor and angry, resenting the king who he knew to be his father and that he could not take his rightful place as ruler. The only one who could keep his rage under control it had seemed was a beautiful village girl by the name of Esther. The two married and had 6 beautiful children- Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah, and Henrik. Their poverty and low standing in society forced Finn to leave home very young in search of work and he never returned. Henrik died in his infancy as a result of malnourishment and Mikael made a decision because of this that would change his kingdom and the world forever.

His pride overtook him and he refused to allow his children to feel the weakness that he did so he went to his mother, begging her to join her powers with his wife and make his children strong enough that they could take back what rightfully belonged to their family. After some convincing both women agreed and performed the dark spell. The magic transformed the children but was too strong and exhausted Ayana and Esther to an early grave. Overcome by grief Mikael took his own life, leaving his children to avenge their family.

XXX

Niklaus Mikaelson's face knits itself easily into the murderous glare that it has become so accustomed to wearing as he nods his head toward his siblings, his partners in everything. The four siblings stand a mere hundred feet from the castle, their stolen destiny staring them in the face. The young (on the outside at least) man's brows draw even closer together as he scoffs at the small mote which provides the sleeping royal imposters with a false sense of security. The amount of space between him and the large brick building is one he and his siblings could close in seconds thanks to what Ayana had made them.

"Are you all prepared?" he begins in a hushed tone that he knows only they can hear "we have waited far too long for this night" he says thinking of that insignificant space he was just looking across. He has waited decades for this night and will not allow anyone's incompetence to take from him what he knows to be his "hiding in the woods like animals as we learned to control our new gifts" he ignores Elijah's snort of derision at the word 'gifts' "training to take back what is rightfully ours. We are strong enough, but we must get in and complete our mission quickly, it is not about the blood, it is about the kill." His eyes flash briefly to his youngest brother who gives him a cheeky grin "the king and queen must die tonight. William and Elizabeth Forbes have lived their last day as the unrightful rulers of our country." He pulls his sword from its sheath, grinning with malice as the light of the full moon bounces off the heavy silver of his blade "tonight we make all right again in the Mystic Kingdom"

A slow sarcastic clap pulls Klaus out of his murderous thoughts and he grits his teeth, truly not in the mood for his baby brother to deliver his usual useless commentary "as much as I applaud your malice I believe you may be overlooking one tiny detail that you would know if you had left the woods in the last century" Kol chimes in annoyingly

Klaus glares at his brother, his entire body filling with rage as he resists the urge to throw the boy to the ground, grasp his throat and growl in his ear that the reason he had not left the woods in so many years was because he had been training and planning instead of playing with and murdering commoners, he settles instead with a tight lipped "and what is that?"

"There is an heir" Elijah says simply, knowing Niklaus is far less likely to lunge at him than their younger brother "a princess in her seventeenth year"

"Then we kill her as well" he growls, angry that his siblings bothered to slow themselves down with this news, a pathetic little girl makes no difference in his plan, so he will have to bathe in the blood of three Forbes' rather than two, the more the merrier. "Anyone you find inside that castle you kill. No questions asked."

"Can we please just get this over with? I'm bloody tired of living in the woods and I would like to move in to my palace as soon as possible thank you" Rebekah cuts off the argument in her usual petulant tone and they all nod.

"For the family name" Elijah says drawing his sword and placing it in the middle of their four-person circle

"For mother" Rebekah adds drawing her own

"For power" Kol declares adding his blade to the middle

"For us" Klaus smirks putting his on top.

"Always and forever" they say in unison

XXX

The four Mikaelson's descend upon the castle like vultures to a corpse, leaping the moat and landing effortlessly on the other side with satisfied grins before fighting silently past the outer security, slitting guards' throats so quickly that their cries of warning die with them. Once inside they remain unseen as long as possible, sinking their sharp fangs into man after man attempting to stop them. They leave a pile of bodies in every room of the palace, stepping over the corpses in an attempt to find their true target- the royal family.

Kol is the first to find the Queen's rooms and is taken aback only momentarily by the fact that the king is not with her, but rather in a whole other set of rooms which Niklaus is now entering (if his hearing has not failed him), clearly the marriage is only for show, perhaps he will be helping this woman by ending her miserable existence he thinks as he steps slowly into the room, leaving crimson footprints on the white plush carpet. He looks down at the sleeping woman and lets four slow drops of blood to fall from the tips of his fingers onto the white of her skin, just enough for her eyes to open slowly before he buries his hand in her chest.

XXX

"Princess, princess you must get up immediately" Caroline Forbes is shaken roughly out of a beautiful slumber by her maidservant and friend Bonnie Bennett, she sits up quickly rubbing her eyes

"What? What is it? I was having the most wonderful dream" she begins sleepily, wondering how late it is, it is unusual that she sleeps passed when she is supposed to be at breakfast

"No time for that your highness!" the fearful maid says as she drags the princess from her bed, putting all of her energy and brainpower into getting her friend out of the castle rather than focus on the pile of bodies she just tripped over on her way to a midnight washing room trip "the castle is under siege, half the guards are dead and the rogues will be coming for you!" The princess' eyes grow wide in fear as she hastens to follow her friend into the study that connects to her private chamber "I have spelled the door shut but that will only last so long! You must hurry through the secret passages, I shall keep them at bay as long as I can"

"No!" the princess yells, finally getting her senses about her as the reality of the situation comes crashing down on her "I am not leaving without you, Bonnie" Caroline shakes her head vigorously as her friend pushes aside the large painting of her grandmother to reveal a hidden escape tunnel.

"Do not worry about me princess, I am right behind you I promise! Just run while I finish a protectant spell" she pushes the blond girl into the tunnel, she pauses briefly, about to protest but a bang at the door has her nodding her head quickly to her best friend and begging down the corridor at a sprint.

Adrenaline shoots through Caroline's body for the first several minuets and all she can think of is running. It is clear this is a dire situation, but once she regains her common sense she truly understands how serious this must be if Bonnie is so candidly talking about her magic, something that she usually tries to hide. She whips her head around, hoping to see Bonnie rushing up behind her, but she is fiercely disappointed with a dark and empty tunnel. It is impossible to not think of how worried she is for her friend, but a small sense of comfort can be taken from how powerful she knows the Bennett girl is and so she allows her mind to drift to her mother. Is she alright? Did her parents get into the tunnels? She assumes that the king and queen would be target number one, but perhaps only one of them was found because of their separate rooms? She could hope. What a horrible thing it is to be seventeen and praying that only one of your parents has been murdered. These thoughts are not helpful though and so she tries her best to abandon them in favour of faster running.

By the time the princess reaches the end of the first tunnel her entire body is covered in the cold sweat of fear and she can barely breath, but she pressed on, turning the corner and willing her feet to carry her far away from the people upstairs.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Caroline stops dead in her tracks as the pained scream reverberates throughout the entire castle; she would know that voice anywhere- her mother. Caroline cannot stop the tears from streaming down her face in that moment, blurring her eyes and making it impossible to maneuver in the dark tunnels. Her mind knows that if she can just press a little farther she will come out a few minuets run from her friend's estate (years of playing in the tunnels as children taught her that), but her heart does not understand this logic and it seems to take over her entire body in that moment, cancelling out the logic with deep pangs of loss as her knees buckle and she falls into a ball on the concrete, sobbing quietly into her nightdress.

XXX

"Where is she" the man with the dark hair and features she is unable to make out in the extreme darkness demands of Bonnie yet again, this time grabbing her by the throat and tossing her up against the wall to prove just how thin of ice she is on.

"I told you I do not know, she often sneaks out in the night, I found her chamber empty I swear" The young girl says clawing desperately at the man's inhumanly strong hand, terrified for her life but secretly glad that the man is wasting so much time interrogating her, Caroline should be nearly outside of the castle by now

"Why do I not believe you, darling?" he inquires lowering his voice and squeezing tighter

Bonnie decides in that instant that her death will not do anybody any good and prays that her friend is too far away to be caught. She closes her eyes for a moment; summoning every ounce of strength she has in her body her and mutters indistinguishable foreign words under her breath. In a moment the man has dropped her to the ground and is gripping his head and screeching in pain. The witch scrambles to her feet and begins to run but his hand fastens itself onto her ankle and she pitches forward.

Bonnie looks up in utter shock as her assailant pins her arms beneath her "you should be dead! I gave you an aneurism!"

The brown eyed man smirks down at her "you will find that my siblings and I are much more resilient than the average human"

"I should rather not find anything out about you" She says glaring at him

"Well then you should not have done that little trick," he smiles cruelly "see I am under orders to kill every _person_ in this castle, but we both know that you are more than human. We can always use a witch" The man reaches behind her and everything goes black in Bonnie's world.

XXX

Down in the tunnel Caroline grips her hands into the fabric of her nightdress until all blood leaves them and they turn as white as the garment itself, her mind is racing, nothing more than a jumble of grief and fear and then in an instant of clarity she snaps her head up "no. I will not let these deaths be for nothing. I will survive" she declares to herself and drags her body up, moving as quickly as she can through the tunnels, willing herself to think of anything except her parents until finally, what feels like hours later she feels fresh air on her skin and trudges the mile she must to knock firmly on the Pierce's front door and collapse in an utter mess at their entryway.

XXX

The Pierce's housekeeper Pearl has only just managed to get into bed when she hears a frantic knocking upon the front door. She drags herself from bed and flings the door open with a very unimpressed look on her face "I do not know who you are but it is unforgivably rude to knock upon a door at this hour and- oh my goodness, your majesty, what happened!" The woman's tone changes in a second upon the sight of the crumpled and sobbing princess

Large blue eyes stare up from the ground in fear as the traumatized princess attempts to speak "I- the castle-it is-they" Caroline gasps out random words, not quite able to form a full sentence or describe exactly the horrors that she is fleeing from

"Come inside, come inside" Pearl says immediately, helping the princess stand and ringing for her daughter to bring up a blanket which she wraps carefully around her "Anna darling please go put on some tea for her majesty"

"Th-thank you" Caroline manages to say weakly as Pearl leads her to the plush armchair in the corner of the room. Caroline sits down carefully, pulling her knees into her chest, staring into the fireplace.

"Lucky for you I was on my way to bed so the fire has just been stoked, should bring some warmth back into you, your skin feels like ice" the woman says in an attempt to make conversation, when there is no response she decides on another tactic to comfort the royal "would you like me to wake lord Jonathan? Or the girls?"

Caroline thinks for a moment, a million different emotions and thoughts flashing through her eyes before she nods her head slowly "would it be possible to wake only Lady Katherine?" she says in a soft voice, feeling almost guilty for the request. In many ways Elena is actually her best friend, and though not requesting her does feel like a small betrayal she cannot deny the truth. If she wanted to go horseback riding she would have called for Elena, but anyone who knew Katherine was aware that she would handle crises situations better than her sister. After all, Caroline was a princess and she needed someone to inspire her not allow her to wallow.

"Of course your highness, I will be right back"

XXX

Niklaus smiles widely as he looks around the blood splattered walls of the King's bedroom, a long sought after feeling of satisfaction and relief washes over him. It is done. The King and Queen are dead and the Mikaelson's are free to take back their kingdom. Less than a minute is spent reveling in the blood and chaos before he flashes immediately down to the throne room where he meets his siblings.

"Just one question Nik, in your little 'kill everyone plan' did you ever stop to consider that we would need servants to clean all this up!" Rebekah says in an annoyed tone, it was just like her brother to completely disregard practicality in favour of blood.

"Calm down little sister" Klaus says waving his hand in dismissal having already gone over this in his mind "anyone here would have been loyal to the Forbes'; tomorrow morn we will personally travel to the outlying villages and pick up young men and women as poor as we used to be to come work at the castle and they will be so grateful for the income that we shall have only loyal employees and then the next day we will announce to everyone in the capitol that we are the new rulers. We will simply have to threaten the lords if any of them try to stand against us" throughout his speech Klaus moves closer and closer to the ornate throne, sitting himself right on top of it as he finishes speaking

Rebekah nods quietly in agreement "you really were thinking during all that time you spent alone in the forest. My brother the genius" she smiles

"Your brother the king" Klaus says confidently as he pulls William's crown from his jacket and places it grandly atop his head

"That crown does not belong to you" an indignant voice sounds across the room and all three heads turn quickly to face the girl that Kol is currently dragging into the room

"My apologies, I had knocked her unconscious but I suppose I lost track of time draining that lovely kitchen hand and she woke up" Kol says wiping leftover blood from his mouth

"Why is she alive at all?" Klaus growls, honestly was nobody capable of following a simple order!

"She is a witch" Kol shrugs in defense "figured we could use her"

"Are you positive?" Elijah says growing serious, flashing right in front of the girl

"Based on the little headache she gave me earlier, I would say I am pretty sure"

"That should have killed you," she hisses

"Ah well should have does not usually work with my family love" Klaus breaks in, forgiving his brother in an instant "you'll learn that with time, just as you will learn that from now on, this certainly does belong to me. All of this belongs to us" he smirks

"The people will never support you!"

"Oh I think they will" he says with dark eyes as he gestures to the bodies strewn carelessly around the room "you see people who try to stand against my family and I have a nasty habit of ending up quite dead"

The witch swallows hard at his words and tries her best to avert her eyes.

XXX

A million panicked thoughts fly through Katherine Pierce's head during Caroline's tale, but unlike her fair friend she possesses a rather impressive poker face. Panicking was not going to help this situation, and right now Caroline was panicking "Ok calm down, the way I see it there is not really anything we can do until we learn more about who these people are and what their deal is" Katherine says sipping her tea casually as if it's the middle of the afternoon and they are discussing dress patterns

"Are you suggesting I merely sit here playing croquet with you and Elena while those intruders parade around my palace!" Caroline says angrily, she may no longer have tears streaming from her eyes but with the amount of pain she has swirling around inside her there is no way she will simply do nothing!

"Absolutely not. I am sorry to tell you this my dear friend, but you are going back into the tunnels" the Pierce girl says with a cunning look on her face

"Excuse me?" Caroline nearly chokes on her tea

"Just listen to me," Katherine says rolling her eyes and wondering why people even bother to question her anymore, obviously she has a brilliant plan. She just needs to be given the opportunity to explain it "if these people are after the crown, which I can only assume they are then they will be very upset when they find out you escaped, they will come looking for you. Our tunnels are not like yours; they lead to safe rooms instead of exits. Once we are done talking and before the sun rises I am going to tuck you away in one of those so that you are safe. There is plenty of food and water and I will visit as often as I can, but Elena and my parents cannot know anything about you being here, we both know Elena is incapable of keeping her well meaning mouth shut and my parents may give you up to gain favor with the new rulers-"

Caroline's angry voice interrupts her "they are not the new rulers! That is my-"

"shhhh, shh I know, and we are going to get it back for you but you need to be alive to be Queen, okay!" Caroline nods slowly "I will snoop around the city for the next week or so and find out what the deal is with these people. That will be enough time for them to assume you are dead or far enough away to not be a concern. Then once their guard is down we will figure out how to handle this, alright?"

Caroline nods once again and before she can say a word Katherine has clamped her hand onto her wrist and is dragging her down through cement tunnels again.

XXX

It takes less that an hour for Katherine to show the princess everything the safe rooms have to offer (which isn't much) "ok, I have to go ensure Pearl's silence and be back in my chambers before anyone wakes up, you should get some sleep. You must be exhausted"

Caroline nods, which seams to be all she can do tonight as Katherine turns to leave "Kat" the princess calls out softly and the brunette turns around "thank you. For everything, I do not know what I would do without a friend like you. You saved me".

Katherine smiles kindly, realizing that in all of this she never actually said anything to comfort her friend "my devious mind is only getting started. Worry not, we will have your pretty little butt back in that castle and coroneted in no time. I promise," Caroline tries to smile but she just can't make it look real "hey, I mean it. We are not alone, how many of these people can there be? We will have the Salvatore brothers on our side at the very least, my brat of a baby brother might not look like much, but he can hold his own in a fight and I even bet Elena can bat her eyelashes at that stable boy Matt if we need some extra muscle. Two sides can play hostile takeover".

Princess Caroline manages to hold it together just long enough for Katherine to close the door before she collapses to the floor and weeps for a week.


	2. The Breaking Point

**Hey there readers! So, confession time: I got really discouraged with the fandom this week because it just felt kind of hopeless and I almost pulled the story, but then I watched the comic con panels and I got irrationally angry when Julie straight out refused to comment on Klaroline and then incredibly inspired when Kat said Klaroline was one of her favorite couples and the chearing was sooooo loud. I realized that I'm not alone andhonestly if even one of you out there gets klaroline feels from my story then I'll count it a huge success! I love these two and I'm not giving up any time soon! So please enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 2**

"That is it, I am officially putting an end to your moping Caroline Forbes!" Katherine says as she closes the door to the secret room behind her, taking in the sad puddle of a girl staring blankly into space. It is a familiar sight, one that broke her heart every time she entered the room for the first couple days, but now it has been long enough that she has just started to find it slightly irritating.

Caroline slowly turns her head to face her friend and the completely broken expression on her face makes Katherine sigh "my parents are dead, forgive me if I thought that allowed me some time to mope"

" _Some_ time yes, but it's been over a week and the longer you sit in this basement crying the more comfortable those imposters become in your home" Caroline knows nothing of what has been happening in the kingdom! It is not the time for the only person who may be able to help to be crying in a basement. She will simply have to get over it.

"I do not want to hear about them, I can barely even stand to think about that night please Katherine I need more time" Caroline cries bitterly, wishing for the first time that she had asked Elena to help after all, the kinder twin would never rush her into action, she would have been comforting and… enabling Caroline realizes with a sigh. Deep down the princess knows why she chose this twin, but she never realized how hard it was going to be to have somebody trying to force her into action when all she wants to do is feel sorry for herself. Katherine's unimpressed huff makes it clear the she will not be giving up.

"I have not spent the past days avoiding my entire family and sneaking around villages to gather information on the imposters so that you can waste away in this room while they wear your crown" Katherine lowers herself to face Caroline directly, using her deep brown eyes to shoot every ounce of determination and fire she can possibly muster to make her friend realize what is at stake "normal girls get time to mourn their parents, but a princess has to think of her country. As your friend I am truly sorry for your loss and am here for you, but as your subject and a citizen of the Mystic Kingdom I am here to tell you that you need to get off your royal ass and take your country back!" she lifts her hands to grasp Caroline's shoulders, willing to shake the sense into her if necessary "The time to think of those who died has passed, you must think of those still alive. Think of me, think of Bonnie"

Caroline takes a deep breath and nods her head; she knows that Katherine is right. That is the thing about Katherine, she never tells you what you want to hear but she always has the best plans, "you are right, I am being selfish." But in order to get to the plan, she has to get through the worst "Tell me everything you know."

Katherine straightens up, hopeful "alright, I am going to start with the worst, so brace yourself"

 ** _One week ago- 2 days after attack_**

 _"Still no sightings of our missing royal?" Elijah asks as he enters the main room of the castle, pulling on his cufflinks in preparation for the family's address to the people of the Mystic Kingdom._

 _"No" Klaus replies casually, not even a little put off by the looming threat, not that he sees the runaway princess as anything more than a minor inconvenience "Kol made sure every new servant we picked up yesterday has their eyes open for her but not a single sighting reported. I believe it is safe to say she is far away from here"_

 _"And that does not concern you at all?" the eldest Mikaelson wonders, Niklaus was the one of his siblings who worked the hardest to secure their throne so he could only assume the new king would be desperate to find and eliminate the true heir._

 _"Not particularly" Klaus says with a shrug, clapping his brother on the shoulder, his nonchalance making it perfectly clear just how not concerned he is "from what I am told she is the last remaining Forbes, how much trouble can one girl cause? She is probably on a boat to Austria or Spain to hide away in a foreign court as we speak. A scared little princess is not anything to concern us"._

 _Elijah nods "I suppose not." But even as the words escape his mouth Elijah does not believe them. His brother may be arrogant enough to assume that this girl is scared and weak, but Elijah knows better than to underestimate anyone. That is how their grandfather lost the throne in the first place. Saying this to Niklaus would not change anything however, he is stubborn so Elijah decides to change the topic "Where are our siblings? We sent the new crier to announce that the town should gather at noon, it will not instill faith in our leadership to be late"_

 _An amused voice echo's throughout the throne room "Oh Elijah you worry far too much about what these insignificant humans think" Kol says meandering slowly into the room with Rebekah trailing behind him, picking at her sunshine yellow dress in obvious distaste._

 _"Alright the first thing we need to get when we are done with this ridiculous announcement is a royal tailor because this princess' taste is just abysmal. The closet is full of so many pastel colors that it looks like a resurrection day celebration. I really look far better in jewel tones"_

 _Klaus rolls his eyes, not wanting to deal with Rebekah's spoiled nature at the moment. She may not have had a tiara until now, but the girl has always been a princess. "Can we please just get this over with? I would like to get back to perfecting our empire" he growls, effectively silencing the girl's complaints_

 _"There will be no empire if the people do not respect us as rulers" Elijah speaks up in a frustrated tone, ever the voice of reason "you are all children, so concerned with your blood and your gowns and your power trips." He looks at at Kol, Rebekah, and Niklaus pointedly in succession, "this is not what our parents gave their lives for. Our mother sacrificed herself so we could rule this kingdom and its people and we will not do that by murdering everyone. We will make these people trust us if it is the last thing we do because their loyalty is necessary or we will be open to attack from every other country in the new and old world" Kol fits a cheeky grin on his face and is about to argue but he is beat to the punch with a stern glare "and though they cannot kill us we will not be very great royalty if our kingdom is nothing but rubble"_

 _The other three in the room are stunned into silence by their usually docile brother's outburst but they all nod in agreement._

 _"Always and forever" Rebekah says quietly after a moment of awkward silence and those three little words soften the hard façade of her three stubborn brothers just as they did when they were children. The four of them nod in respect to each other and move to open the doors of the balcony, staring at the crowd below._

 _The people stare up at them, unsure what to say or how to react, should they cheer? Should they be afraid or excited? It seams that every man woman and child gathered below the palace has silently agreed to stand perfectly still and do nothing but stare._

 _Klaus clears his throat and takes a step forward "Good afternoon citizens, my name is Niklaus Mikaelson, and I am your new king"._

"Mikaelson!" Caroline gasps interrupting the story by wrinkling her face into a mask of absolute horror

"Yes, Mikaelson" Katherine nods her head solemnly, she skirted around the name as long as she could "they say they are the true royal family come to take the throne back" Caroline shakes her head in anger as Katherine continues to relay the entire story about how there could be Mikaelson's still alive.

Caroline stares at her friend as she speaks, unable to form a single coherent thought as the entire crazy tale unfolds before her. She should have known really, who else would be horrible enough to do as they did? She heard the stories growing up of the days before her family, of the tyrant king who married, bedded and murdered half the village women. They were pure evil.

Katherine pauses for a long moment once she is done with her story, allowing the anger to build within her friend before sharing her own personal opinions "they talk about wanting to rule and keep peace in the country, but something is off with them Caroline." _Obviously_ the princess thinks sullenly. Everything is off with them. They are evil. "Their story, it doesn't line up, I can feel something not right about them. I do not believe that our new king truly cares about the people at all"

Caroline shakes her head sadly, realizing how naive she had been to assume that she was safe in her castle. She had always led such a privileged life that it was easy to forget just what a target the diamond band she wore around her head was. She had acted as though her gowns were bulletproof and her gossamer canopy was made of steel. Well not anymore. She is not safe and she knows it, but neither is her kingdom and that is not something she will tolerate. She stands swiftly, determined. "I cannot leave my people in his hands. I will not idly sit by as this man destroys everything I care about."

Katherine smiles "I was so hoping you would say that. Who am I kidding, I knew you would say that because I'm a genius and I have an even more genius plan. Though I must say first that I do not know if my suspicions have any truth to them. These people may truly want to be a just royal family" Caroline glares at her and she hurries to add "but regardless of whether or not this wannabe king cares for the people he does not belong on the throne"

"Alright, so what is your plan Katherine?"

The girl smirks "the Mikaelson's gave it to me actually, in their nauseating little speech going on and on about how they need our trust in order to run the country. They said that they would pay handsomely for anyone with information about the missing princess though they assumed she was already sailing to the court of one of our allies in fear, knowing that she had been beaten by rightful royals-"

"How dare they!" Caroline spits, her whole body alight in anger at the news that they were speaking of her in this manner, making her people believe that she would abandon them "I would never run from my country, they are just-"

"shh, shh I know just let me finish" Katherine says grabbing Caroline's hand to quiet her "they think you ran to hide in some small country with no army to fight them, but they are forgetting what a beautiful princess we have" she says raising her eyebrows, moving her voice up an octive and taking on a cooing, joking tone "in fact, I heard from a very reputable source that last summer when she visited the English court the crown Prince was immediately taken with her and they were engaged to be married upon her eighteenth birthday, I am sure he would be very upset to discover that his future bride's homeland has been taken over and the king and queen would not stand to lose the country as trade ally's." She looks to her friend, giving the royal a moment to put the pieces together before continuing in a far more biting, malicious, Katherine like tone "Let us s see how these Mikaelson's stand against the entire army of England" an evil smile creeps onto her face as she fills with pride over her brilliant plan

"You want me to ask Tyler for help?" Caroline whispers in disbelief, this is the amazing plan that her most deceitful friend could come up with? Run crying to another country just as the Mikaelson's predicted she would? Admit that she cannot handle the situation on her own?

"No", Katherine says defensively, angered by the simplicity with which Caroline is understanding her plan "I want you to ask Prince Lockwood, your betrothed for the aid of his army to ensure that the merger between your two countries goes off without a hitch, you getting your crown and country back is just a happy side effect"

The princess shakes her head, holding her shoulders strong "no, I am not going to run away to England like some damsel in distress. I refuse to be the weak little girl they are portraying me as".

A sigh escapes Katherine's lips as she looks at her friend, how could she be so stupid. Help is a boat ride away but she is too prideful to take it? "Caroline, you are a woman, this is how we gain power. When you have the heir of the most powerful country in the world in the palm of your beautiful hand and someone tries to mess with you, you use that!"

Caroline glares "I can handle my own country Katherine I do not need a man to do everything for me, I am not you!" it is a cheap shot and she knows it, so much so that she turns her back to her friend, not wanting to look at her.

Most women would angrily storm out at that point, incensed at the accusation of being whores, but Katherine Pierce just cocks her head to the side and glares at the princess "no, you are not, because I am not the one sitting here rotting in a dungeon while everything I care about is taken from me by strangers, and I never will be because I do what I have to do. I will always do what I have to do in order to survive, so maybe instead of judging me you should try to be a little more like me because this 'I am an independent woman' crap is all great in theory but we do not live in some magical world of equality. Women run this world, we both know this, but they do it through men and you need to grow up and realize that!"

"Oh my god" Caroline says whipping her head around to face Katherine as her eyes widen in realization "that is it" she murmurs lifting her hands to her mouth in thought, tapping her finger against her lip "Katherine you are a genius"

"I know" she smiles "wait… why?"

"The Mikaelson's claim they want the people to trust them, right?" Katherine nods "but you do not think they really care about the people which means that they want to use them to gain power"

"That makes sense"

Caroline runs her hands up her face, grabbing her head as she lets out a groan of frustration "ughh, this sucks" she says in her most disgusted voice "but I know what I have to do"

XXX

"You will not get away with any of this you know; the true heir to the throne is still out there and even if she was not the people will never support a group of murderers" Bonnie says squaring her shoulders and straightening her back as she addresses the originals who once again dragged her into this ridiculous throne room to try and get her to pledge loyalty to them like the rest of this brainwashed castle. Well it is not going to happen. Bonnie Bennett cannot be threatened or bribed into betraying her friend and princess.

Her resolve angers the brown eyed boy who attacked her in the first place, every day he seams to grow more and more frustrated with her "You keep saying things like that darling, but perhaps you should remember exactly what you called us in the second half of that little speech and then rethink how you would like to respond to our requests" Kol growls in response from his throne on the right side of Elijah

Bonnie grits her teeth in anger, preparing to yell and scream at the boy in front of her, but before she can his blue eyed brother who falsely wears her best friend's crown puts his hand up to silence both parties "death threats Kol? While I appreciate the tactic, there are so many better ways to get what we want" Klaus smirks leaning forward "Bonnie, is it?" the witch nods "well Bonnie, I'm going to level with you here" he says folding his hands "you see this whole time you have been refusing to help us because of these delusions that you hold that make you believe your beloved princess is going to come storming back in here and overthrow us, well look around" he pauses "it has been a week, have you seen any sign of her? Because I have not" he leans back in his chair, raising his eyebrows "and neither have any of the commoners or servants. I hate to tell you this but your little friend is long gone, hiding away in some little country- I hear Austria is an ally? Oh wait; I did not hate to tell you that at all now did I? Oh well, no use obsessing over details, the point is- she is not coming back so I would suggest you choose where to put your allegiances very carefully witch"

Bonnie turns her head very slowly, sets an incredulous look on the 'king' and takes a deep breath "go to hell"

"Alright" Klaus shrugs "well I tried, this really is a pity, but " before he finishes the sentence Klaus is out of his throne in the blink of an eye, wrapping a strong arm around her waist, smiling down at her as his fangs descend. He is just about to close his teeth on her throat when a strong female voice sounds throughout the room

XXX

"DO NOT TOUCH HER!" Klaus' head snaps up to see the double door of the throne room has been thrown open to reveal possibly the most intriguing sight he has ever seen. A woman, not more than eighteen years of age if he is guessing ,but with the authority in her voice of one three times her age and fire in her eyes that could frighten any soldier he has ever met. She walks calmly into the room and his eyes follow her, inspecting her from head to toe. He smirks, quite pleased with what he sees. Golden tresses spun in perfect curls and clipped artfully atop her head save for two ringlets framing her face, invitingly creamy porcelain skin revealed in her slim neck and the tops of her round breasts which threaten to spill out of the sinfully tight bodice of her blood red dress. Her full skirts sway as she moves and he can tell the garment must be made of silk by the soft sound they make. She's an audacious little thing to barge into their throne room at all, but to do so wearing the color of royalty- the vision in front of him must have a death wish.

Caroline musters every ounce of courage she has to walk confidently into the room, noting the changes they have made to it in just a week, already four thrones sit in the room rather than the three that had occupied it when she left. Such a minor detail that manages to sadden her so intensely. This is no longer her home. No longer her safe haven. She pushes these thoughts from her mind and fixes her gaze on the smirking man holding tightly onto her best friend, seeing her father's crown atop his head fuels her with a fire that she knows will take her through this ordeal. She looks up to the thrones, seeing one of the middle ones empty; to its left sits a bored looking blond woman in a pale yellow dress that seems vaguely familiar. To his right is a dark haired man with a broad chest who is eyeing her curiously but not unkindly, and the chair on the far left is occupied by a young man with dark hair and manic eyes.

"And who exactly are you to tell the King of this country what he can and cannot do?" The man who fancies himself king says as he stares down at her.

Caroline stops moving and plants her feet directly in front of him, taking a deep breath she tries to steady herself and speak with as much authority as possible "My name is Caroline Forbes" she watches every set of eyes in the room widen "and I believe you have something that belongs to me"

The man is in front of her almost inhumanly fast and she just hears Bonnie's scream as she drops to the ground before his hand closes around Caroline's throat. "Well unfortunately for you princess a dead woman can possess nothing" he says giving her an evil smile as he places one hand on either side of her head and-

"AAAGHH" every person in the room except for Bonnie and Caroline falls to the floor in agony, Caroline turns and smiles at her friend

"I would not act so fast if I were you _your highness_ " Caroline says giving him her sweetest smile "I have an offer you will not be able to refuse"

The man growls in anger, trying to stand up but still incapacitated, having no other choice he yells "Fine! Fine I will hear you out! Just make her stop" the princess nods toward her friend and the room returns to normal, the man rights himself and turns to glare at her "now what is your proposition. And keep in mind I promised to listen to you, not to let you live."

"hmm, not so fast" Caroline hums, taking advantage of the small amount of power having Bonnie on her side affords her "I will only speak to the person in charge, judging by the crown I'd say that is you- you are the only one I am interested in making a deal with please send the others away"

Protests immediately break out from the two youngest Mikaelson's but the very unimpressed looking man in front of her simply raises his hand and they fall silent "I will hear the girl speak, leave us" he says without taking his eyes off of her. If looks could kill...

The grumbling patrons of the room begin to slowly move out and a thought occurs to her

"Except Bonnie" she says hastily "she stays- just in case you try anything"

The man places a hand to his heart; looking almost offended "You really think that low of me love?" he smiles, trying to throw her off guard

Caroline looks him directly in the eye "yes"

The door closes and the three of them are left alone, Caroline takes a few steps back wanting to create some much-needed distance between them

"Alright we are alone, say what you must, though I assure you I am not very inclined to strike a deal when you are easily ended"

She cocks her head to the side "ok first of all, you just tried to kill me- that was very rude, try it again and I walk. And trust me, you need me."

He exhales loudly in derision, slightly impressed by the girl's bravery and so he grants her a small promise "I give my word I will not kill you until you have said your piece"

"Thank you" the princess nods her head "not that your word means much"

"Careful" he warns in a low growl

She nods and continues "I hear from my sources that your family and yourself wish to actually be respected as rulers, to gain the support of the people and have them accept you as their new royal family, is this correct?" he looks agitated but nods his head "I take it then that you also wish to maintain the positive trade and peace agreements with our fellow countries, a country at war is really quite the hassle to run-"

"Get to your point" the man growls, no longer wishing to entertain this girl as she wastes his time

"My point is that the people will never accept you. They will never respect you and my family has friends in very powerful countries with very large armies, but there is an obvious solution that will make everyone happy" She stops for a second to think about what she just said "well, mostly happy"

He tilts his head, looking at her through slitted eyes, highly suspicious of the deal she is about to offer "and what, pray tell, is that?"

Caroline takes a deep breath, really not wanting to go through with this but knowing that it is the only way. She begins to speak quietly "I have no brother, there is technically no direct Forbes male to claim the throne as of yet which makes me next in line, if I am the queen of this country that line is upheld, all foreign allies will be retained and the people will support their royal family as they always have. I am a woman, which means that my name would not carry with me, this kingdom would officially be considered under the rule of the name of whomever I marry. I have no care for titles or names, my care is only for the citizens of the Mystic Kingdom and what is in their best interest. I believe that the people would be best served if… if we- your family and mine made a… a merger"

"Caroline no!" her friend's voice echoes loudly through the room

"Silence!" the king calls to the outspoken girl in the corner of the room, turning a glare on her before letting his eyes fly back to the pretty little thing in front of him currently offering herself up on a silver platter

Klaus smirks, loving the way this strong, confidant woman slowly becomes more and more nervous, slowly loses her edge as she grasps for the words to explain what he already understands. He must admit she has surprised him; surprised him by coming up with a plan that had not occurred to him. She is clever- he will give her that. He takes a moment, letting her sweat it out as he realizes just what a perfect arrangement it is, he does not really care about the kingdom, he just wants the power whereas she cares not for power but for people, she can deal with all of that and he can merely reap the rewards. He lets his eyes slowly travel up and down this Caroline Forbes' body and smirks. Oh yes, he would certainly be reaping the rewards.

He takes a few steps closer to her, circling one of his hands tightly around her narrow waist as the other reaches carefully up to brush a curl from her face, letting his fingertips trail slowly down the side of her cheek, gliding over her neck and down the bodice of her dress. She closes her eyes, flinching in obvious discomfort and he smirks, oh how he will enjoy breaking this one. He keeps his hands on her waist as he slowly circles behind her, pulling the back of her body tightly against the front of his and speaks quietly into her ear "so you have come to surrender then? To offer yourself up as a prize to the new king? It is admirable how much you care for your people princess, that you are willing to give yourself so easily to the man who murdered your parents" Klaus pauses "well technically only your father, Kol took care of mummy dearest" he can feel the girl's body go even more rigid in his arms as he speaks 'good' he thinks, a wife who is afraid of him will be infinitely less trouble than the spitfire who walked in here. He abruptly lets go of her and walks back towards his throne "lucky for you I happen to like prizes. I accept your offer to become my pretty little wife, but I am warning you right now that is all you are, do not try to cross me and do not try to play me, it will not end well for you or your people. You will lend your name and support to us as rulers and in exchange I will allow you to see to the welfare of the citizens. You must understand now that you are not my equal, you are my wife and you will do as I say. Do we have a deal?"

Caroline rolls her eyes and curtsies, replying sarcastically "yes my lord"


	3. The Fine Line

**HEY! So, I'm back! I will fully admit that this isn't my favorite chapter I've ever written, but it does present some very important developments ;) I hope you enjoy it!**

 **CHAPTER 3**

"I'm sorry but you can't be serious about this" Rebekah screeches barging back into the room, flinging the ornate palace doors open with a mighty flourish as she does so- one that she well knows will make the human girl suspicious of her strength- "there is no way we are sharing control of this country with _her"_

Klaus rolls his eyes at his sister's childish tantrum and complete lack of political strategy, something he has grown accustom to over the last decades, but still finds mildly irritating "Careful sister, that's my betrothed you're insulting" he smirks devilishly before turning an icy smile toward said betrothed "word of warning love, Rebekah doesn't like to share the attention with anyone" clearly proud of himself Klaus laughs lightheartedly and moves to stand with his brothers who are now more calmly entering the room. Rebekah's attitude is the complete opposite of her jovial brother. Her entire body seams to fill with a white-hot rage, annoyance and betrayal kindling for the blaze. How dare her brother speak like this to her. He is the one preposterously suggesting they bring an insignificant and possibly threatening human into their hard earned home and now he has the audacity to act as though her perfectly legitimate concerns are nothing but the antics of a spoiled child being denied a toy.

"Oh shove it up your arse Nik, this isn't about attention this is about you letting a traitor into our family!" she says in a bitter tone, trying to convey her anger at her brother's lack of reverence for their family. Always and forever did not include this little Forbes wench and she is about to tell him as much when Elijah opens his mouth to speak first

"He is not letting anyone into our family" her eldest brother assures her calmly, raising his arm to gently touch Rebekah's shoulder and let her know that he understands why she is concerned before continuing on to explain why she needn't fear "our brother is agreeing to a very prudent business offer that will make all of our lives infinitely simpler" The eldest original walks confidently up to the surprised looking princess in front of him and holds out his hand "allow me to introduce myself Miss. Forbes, I am Elijah Mikaelson and I believe we have a great deal of the same interests regarding this beautiful country and the people in it" he says kindly as Caroline politely places her hand in his and he raises it to his lips

"Pleasure" she says with a radiant but calculated smile that Rebekah can see right through, the overly sweet arrangement of her features reminding the youngest original of a positively nauseating dessert Kol had brought her back from Greece after one of his many lengthy departures. Just like that pastry this girl is all syrup and no substance. Rebekah scowls as she continues to speak "If what you say is true then I look very much forward to collaborating with you my lord" Rebekah rolls her eyes as the _former_ princess curtsy's politely, noticing how the girl punches the word _collaborate,_ no doubt an indication that she will not be easily pushed out of decisions involving the welfare of the people. Rebekah scoffs loudly, once again; seemingly unable to do anything else as she continues blatantly glaring at the girl to let her know that her opinions mean less than a mouse in the gutter.

Rebekah's anger only grows as as she watches Kol also hold his hand out to the imposter in their castle, greeting her with a respectful nod which makes the acid in her glare far less threatening "Kol Mikaelson" he says with a devilish smile pulling the girl's hand into his, running his thumb along the skin of her wrist before moving it up to his lips and pausing a beat too long before pulling away "and I very much look forward to getting to know you better princess". Rebekah rolls her eyes at her brother's constant need to think with the wrong head.

She watches the human narrow her eyes at him as well, letting out a very controlled response "likewise. So long as these future encounters involve you keeping your hands off of my friend" she indicates the witch before turning back to him with a stern gaze "and myself"

Klaus laughs and that tiny sound proves what a joke her brothers think this is, how lightly they view allowing this girl into their home. Rebekah can take it no longer "Oh yes, throw yourself at her boys!" she yells flinging her arms out dramatically "need I remind you that she is the enemy! We did not spend all those years training just to see a Forbes remain in the throne"

Klaus sits up to respond but before he can get a word out the Forbes in question begins to speak in a gentle voice "Might it be possible for me to speak with my new sister in private?'

"I am not your sister" the bitterness in the original's tone could make even the sweetest wine undrinkable

"Forgive me, you have not provided me a name so I know not what else to call you" the human responds with that same fake smile

"She has a point Beks" Kol laughs as Klaus motions for the men and Bonnie to leave the room

"You have 5 minuets sweetheart"

XXX

Caroline puts on her best princess smile and begins to speak softly "I do not wish to be your enemy lady" her voice appears to carry genuine humbleness and reverence, but everything Caroline says within this castle is calculated. No princess is raised without lessons on diplomacy, and Rebekah cannot possibly be more difficult to handle than the English girls who used to throw themselves at Prince Tyler. There is only one way to handle overly entitled royalty chasers "I can assure you that I am no threat to you, I am merely a girl who lost her parents and is trying to avoid losing everything she cares about. I do not care for attention or power or even a crown, I care only for the welfare of my- the people."

Almost. The girl almost sold her sad pathetic lost princess speech but that tiny slip of the tongue gave her away. _My people._ That is what she nearly said. She still sees this country as hers "I'm not buying it" Rebekah says shaking her head "this sweet innocent little victim card you're trying to play, it may be enough to fool my brothers and have them fawning all over you but I can assure you I will not. Men are easily distracted by a pretty face and so long as you stay nothing but a toy for my brother then we won't have a problem." She moves closer, practically cornering Caroline "but if you ever do anything to hurt my brother or _my_ country I will personally end you Caroline Forbes. In the meantime, do whatever you want but just stay the hell away from me"

The princess stops for a moment, allowing a silence to fall between them before she nods her head slowly, alright so this girl is more Liv Parker than Sophie Sleight. Serious competition. Caroline raises her head, imagines a crown on top of it and deals with the problem in front of her "Unfortunate" she says with a bit more strength in her voice than Rebekah was expecting "I had hoped we could all be friends" she narrows her eyes "but if you would like to make an enemy of me then that is your choice. Just know this- I am going to marry your brother and I am going to be crowned queen."

Rebekah reels back "Not if I have anything to do with it. And even if you do manage to get your grimy little hands on that crown, I promise I will make every second that you spend in this castle a living hell"

Caroline isn't quite sure if her new sister is pure evil or just a spoiled brat, but either way if she thinks she can walk all over a queen she has another thing coming. "I am not sure what I did to offend you so greatly but you cannot walk around threatening people!" Caroline stamps her foot in indignation "I am only trying to do what is best for this country and you cannot just walk around trying to ruin people's lives!"

The Mikaelson smiles "Oh I'm not interested in anyone else's life- just yours and by the time I'm done with you you will rue the day you decided to step foot in my palace" she spits

Caroline smiles and nods her head "very well then. Your position is understood. If my presence in this room is so toxic to you then I'll just be on my way. There are many rooms in this palace, and who knows which one of your brothers' I'll wander in on. Hopefully the one with the crown, I believe we have wedding plans to discuss" Caroline brushes past the other girl as she glides gracefully towards the door, stopping just short of it to turn and deliver one final comment "Oh, and I'd like my dress back. It doesn't really work with your complexion anyway" and with that Caroline Forbes takes her leave

XXX

Bonnie lets out a massive sigh as she folds down the corner of the large silk sheet, running a hand through her hair and contemplating how she ended up in this position

"You can't avoid me forever my little witch" the tall, dark haired man leaning against the doorframe speaks up and she jumps in surprise

"I'm not avoiding you, I have no reason to avoid you," she says tightly, turning to walk farther into the room she picks up a large grey feather duster and tries to block him out

"Is that so?" he moves into the room, closing the door tightly behind him, he moves at vampire speed to stand directly behind her, his fingertips glide across the exposed skin of her lower arms as he speaks "are you really going to pretend you don't remember me darling?" He smiles and she remains silent "I have to say I'm hurt, I thought we really had something _enjoyable_ going for a while there"

Bonnie's body goes tense and she shakes her head from side to side, turning her head only slightly to look him in the eyes "I have no idea what you are talking about sir" she pauses before continuing in a quieter voice "and if I did ever know a man who looked like you I am certain it was your twin brother, because I see nothing that I recognize in you"

Her words cut through him, sending a pang into the heart that he thought long dead and he pulls away from her, unable to look into her hurting eyes as he speaks "a lot has changed since I last saw you, Bonnie"

She lets a huff of air out through her nose and turns to him "yeah I pretty much figured that out when your hands wrapped around my throat as you tried to kill my best friend"

"I didn't know that was you!" he breaks in faster than lighting, defending his actions "it was dark and my mind was on a goal and you were the last person I ever expected to see-"

"oh but I'm not a person, remember?" she throws his words from that night back in his face "I'm just a witch, just a means to an end for you and your family" her voice grows angrier the more she speaks, unable to believe that the man she once thought she knew so closely could be capable of such evil "because I'm quite certain you knew who I was this afternoon when you threatened me in front of your sibling, when you almost tore my throat out" she storms towards him angrily, hitting him with balled up fists

Kol lets her hit him until she runs out of steam , her tiny fists banging against his chest for several minuets as he stands there looking down at her. The anger and frustration in her face almost makes him smile, her strength is what drew him to her in the first place and it's not as though she is actually going to hurt him so the original just allows himself to think back on better times as she releases her frustration

…

 _The youngest Mikaelson brother growls in frustration, storming angrily away from the camp where his brothers and sister are still training and planning- always training and planning-. He is still reeling from the most recent of an ongoing set of screaming matches with Niklaus, Kol decided only a few years after their transformation that he did not want to waste his eternity slaving away in the woods, he wanted to see the world and his brother did not approve- though in retrospect he can admit that sailing all around the old world for two years without sending contact to his family might not have been the best decision- but his brother still had no right to treat him like a child_

" _uggghhh" he lets out a frustrated yell, kicking a large pine cone as hard as he can_

" _ow!" a high pitched voice cries and he turns to see a beautiful, exotic looking girl kneeling on the ground, her hands wrapped around a beautifully blooming tulip (at the time he didn't think to find it strange that all of the other flowers in that area of the forest were dead, though now he feels stupid for not seeing her witchy ways). The girl whose beautiful caramel skin reminds him of a princess he met in Egypt trains her brown eyes on him, eyes that are filled with anger and determination "excuse me?" her angry voice breaks him out of the spell her appearance seams to have cast over him "do you not understand that there are other people who live in this villiage?"_

 _His eyes widen in shock as she reams him out and he can't help but smile. The women he meets are usually so docile and fragile, polite little society girls, but not this one. The girl reminds him of his sister with her flaming eyes and petulant candor "my apologies darling, I was lost in thought and didn't see you there, though now that I have seen you I can't quite recall any of my earlier worries"_

 _Bonnie rolls her eyes, not believing his too perfect smile and overly charming words "spare me the flirtatious banter. Apology accepted, now just be on your way sir"_

 _He smirks and sits himself down on a nearby tree stump "well unfortunately for you, I don't really have anywhere else to go, at least not anywhere someone will miss me"_

 _That comment strikes a chord with Bonnie, not feeling like you belong where you're supposed to be is certainly something she can understand, so she stands up quietly, brushing the earth from her skirt she moves to sit next to him, she turns her head to face him and lets out a breath "yeah, me neither"_

…

That soft, understanding voice that he remembers so clearly from that meeting and the many that followed is certainly not what he is hearing now as she continues to yell under her breath and lash out at him

"I was never going to hurt you" he says quietly, half surprised when her fists still and her hands fall to her sides, she raises her chin just slightly, clearly willing him to elaborate. He grabs her hand and leads her gently over to sit on the bed before he begins to speak "You have to know that I would never hurt you. I truthfully did not know that it was you that first night in the castle, I didn't even know you were a witch- I would have helped you escape, but I didn't even look at you closely until it was too late and my family cannot know that I care for you, they will use it against me! I had to pretend this last week that I was willing to hurt you to hide my feelings, that's why I've been so cold"

Bonnie listens silently, letting his explanation sink in "but that doesn't change anything" she says quietly "so you wouldn't hurt me, you would still hurt anyone else, you killed my best friend's mother, you tried to kill her, you-you're a monster!" she shakes her head violently, tears welling in her eyes, how could she have been so stupid! How could she have let this horrible man get into her heart, even if she didn't know what he is

"I am the same man I have always been" he says, brushing a stray piece of hair from her face

Bonnie nods "I know you are, the problem is I never really knew you. I fell in love with the lost boy I met in the woods, the sweet man who I met in secret for all those months, but that isn't you. I fell in love with a fantasy that looks like you"

Kol's jaw tightens angrily and he balls his hands into fists to stop himself from doing something he regrets "then get out of my room" he says, voice dripping acid "you belong in the lower rooms with the rest of the help"

XXX

They say you can never come home again, but what if you were never supposed to leave in the first place? Caroline remembers a time 2 years ago when the first of her friends-or ladies she supposes, it can be difficult to tell the difference sometimes- went to be married, Vicki Donavon was married very young to a very old Spanish general (an incredibly lucrative match for her considering her low social standing, but she is a very pretty girl and he was looking for a young wife to warm his bed so her lack of title was not a problem and now that she just bore a son her new position is secured) she returned to The Mystic Kingdom a few months after her marriage to try and fetch her brother and the entire trip was a disaster. All she talked about was how out of place she felt and how different everything is in Spain. Her brother and her fought viciously, apparently she changed a lot in her time away. So much so that he chose to remain a stable boy here rather than support her new life in Spain.

Caroline exhales; thinking about Vicky scares the princess, would this Mikaelson man change her? She may not be in Spain, but her home feels so different she may as well be a thousand miles away. Home is created by people; her mother and father, having her ladies in waiting to talk to and walking with her closest friends through the gardens, but now the only thing that fills this stone building is strangers: Strangers who hate her. Even her old bedroom seams to have lost its comfort. The white canopy and silk sheets that used to make her feel so comfortable and protected now just seam cold and uninviting, not to mention being a constant reminder of everything she lost.

The click of a door sounds and a deep voice fills the room "you appear fairly deep in thought, love" Klaus says with a smirk "that cannot possibly be a good thing"

Caroline takes a deep breath in and exhales in a huff, raising her hand to rub her temple "can you please just not be in here right now"

"I could" he raises his eyebrows and tilts his head "but then again, it is my castle so I suppose I can go wherever I want"

Caroline stares straight forward "you know, I could rip the jacket off your back, throw it over my shoulders and parade around in it" she turns her head to face him "but that would not make it mine" she scowls "it is still your jacket, everyone knows it's still your jacket, I'm just the idiot walking around in it thinking it's hers"

 _Interesting_ the original thinks looking at the pouting little girl who seams to fancy herself powerful, not for long though. "Well I certainly wouldn't object to you ripping my clothes off" he plasters a cold smile on his face and Caroline swallows hard before he even begins to speak, nothing in the upturn of his mouth or even his dimples makes her feel the way a smile should. She feels afraid, she feels like she is in a room with a psychopathic murderer before he even begins to speak "as for the rest of your little story there is a very important detail you missed. You see, if you were to steal my sword first, plunge it into my heart and watch the last breath leave my body before taking my jacket, then I'm sure no one would question your ownership of the garment" the threat in his voice is clear and reminds her of exactly the devil she's made a deal with. This man killed her father. She cannot let herself forget that.

But for the moment she also cannot do anything about it so she simply scoffs and stands up "thanks for the tip, I shall keep it in mind" she turns away from him "and if you aren't going to leave, then I will"

Caroline stands to walk out but feels a strong hand grip around her upper arm and her body jerks back. She manages to catch herself centimeters from crashing into her assailant's chest. Takes a moment to right herself she turns and trains an icy stare on the man, who leans forward, his face uncomfortably close to hers, he keeps a tight grip on her arm, making it impossible for her to create some much needed distance between them

"You are really trying my patience little princess" he growls "and it's starting to make me think I was wrong about you" he pulls away just a little "you see when you barged in here with your plan I thought you were a very clever girl but I can assure you that trying my patience is a very stupid move"

Caroline narrows her eyes, taking in his obvious threat and running through the two options before her quickly in her head. Option one, she could say nothing, nod her head respectfully and spend the rest of her life playing the perfect wife and fake queen to this horrible man just hoping desperately that if she plays her cards right and gives him everything he wants then he might just allow her to look over her people secretly, or option two… she can be Caroline Forbes, she can be a queen.

It's really no decision "well then it is fortunate for me that I could not possibly care less what you think of me or my intelligence"

 **So, how do we feel about Kennett? I love them so I hope you guys do too! Sorry for the sparse amount of klaroline in this chapter, I promise to make it up to you next chapter- seriously, it's going to be a good one! I 3 you all**

 **Reviews are lifeblood to a fanfiction writer!**


	4. Walls We Build

**Yay I'm back! New chapter, hope you all like it, we're diving more into the good stuff now! ;)**

 **(not like that, get your mind out of the gutter! :P)**

 **Chapter 4**

It's been three days since Caroline returned home, though it still feels nothing like home. She fights with Rebekah on the daily; avoids Kol's creepy stares, and tries to stay as far away from Klaus as possible. She knows she cannot avoid him forever, especially since she will eventually have to marry him if she plans to be queen some day, which she absolutely does. The only good moments in her day come from strategy meetings with Elijah who is the only Mikaelson capable of actually treating her like a human being, and talking to Bonnie. Unfortunately the latter has a nasty habit of disappearing for hours on end during the little bit of free time she has, meaning that they often end up having heart to hearts while folding laundry or dusting antiques.

Currently Caroline sits thrown dramatically across a bench seat in the grand foyer, whining to her best friend and making a lackluster attempt to clean the end table beside her. Bonnie continuously tells her she doesn't need to help, but that would just seam… wrong. It is no more Bonnie's fault that she was born a maid than it is Caroline's that she was born a princess. Though even with all the cleaning, Caroline is starting to think Bonnie may have gotten the better end of this deal. She can marry whomever she wants. "Last night I literally dove into one of the secret tunnels when I heard boots coming down the hallway, he's turning me into a crazy person" she sighs throwing her arms out dramatically

Bonnie raises her eyebrow at her friend, smiling "painting of your grandfather in the west wing?" she guesses

Caroline laughs, the little joke helping her un-tense her shoulders as the calm of having her best friend beside her washes over her "pendulum clock underneath the library" she mumbles "I had just finished showing Elijah a map of the kingdom and surrounding lands. He thinks we should train some more security for borders, which is actually a really good idea because it will not only help with security but should also bolster tcitizen morale and per capita income which is great for he economy. The more common people with jobs the better for everyone"

Bonnie smirks at her friend's blatant attempt to change the subject, listening to her speak quickly, rambling on about tithes and jobs and agriculture. It is as if the princess doesn't realize that Bonnie knows every single one of her tells. Bonnie raising her eyebrows, thinking to herself that she refuses to give the princess a pass. They are going to talk about this. "So you assumed Klaus was coming to find his brother and jumped in the clock, sound logic" she jokes trying to keep the mood light, which of course Caroline takes as an out and once again changes the topic. For only a few minuets she allows Caroline to chatter on about all of the wonderful decisions her and Elijah are making before dropping a line that she knows will force her friend to discuss what's really bothering her "it sounds like you would be much happier if you were marrying Elijah"

Caroline glares, perfectly happy to avoid the actual subject of her disdain. She throws her legs back onto the ground, rests her hands on her temples and sighs, "It still wouldn't be ideal, but at least I could stomach that."

"Caroline Forbes" Bonnie says, putting down her duster to connect her hand with her hip "I have had enough of your whining. Are you not the girl that spent an entire week with that repulsive Danish lord that the king sent over to ensure nothing went wrong in the trade agreement?"

"oh god don't remind me! " Caroline makes a disgusted face, remembering sitting in one of the dining rooms every night that week, complaining to Bonnie about how much she did not want to do it only to have her father walk in and tell her that it is a princess' duty to think of her country first. So she did. And she has not stopped thiking of her country, but this just feels like more than she can handle. Then again, at the time she was convinced that the lord was more than she could handle. "I showed him around the kingdom for days" she raises her hand to point it at Bonnie "and he had a serious wandering hand issue"

"See" Bonnie says, moving to sit beside her friend to comfort her "You have made many sacrifices for your kingdom," she smiles, trying to inspire in her friend the bravery she is going to need "and though you may not have always like it, I don't recall you throwing yourself into this deep of a pity party. If anyone can handle this situation with a well plastered fake smile- which you will need to convince the people- it's you"

Caroline pouts, feeling defeated "but I don't want to"

"I know" the understanding is clear in her voice "but that is the down side of being royalty" they sit in silence for a few moments before Bonnie remembers where she is supposed to be and stands abruptly, speaking quickly "the upside however is that you don't need to run to the kitchen and help chop vegetables right now" she smiles beginning to exit

Caroline narrows her eyes. Every time they get even a little bit of time together Bonnie suddenly gets up and leaves. What is she up to? Until now Caroline has remained silent, but she cannot hold it in any longer "ok no, we have a chef. Several since the Mikaelson's moved in, you don't need to be chopping vegetables " she says suspiciously

Bonnie flounders for a second, not sure what to say, the truth would certainly not be good for either of them "uh yeah, well the Mikaelson's are just really big on the staff being busy all the time, they've made some serious changes" she says lamely

Caroline rolls her eyes, unconvinced "really? Is that why you never have even thirty seconds of free time anymore"

"Uh yeah, I really have to go. See you tomorrow" she smiles running out of the room

"probably not" Caroline sighs falling back onto the cushions

XXX

The princess smiles, making her way to the second floor library, pushing the whole Bonnie acting strange thing out of her mind (because seriously, she saw the kitchen staff last night when she was avoiding eating with the Mikaelson's and they do not need any help), but she refuses to be worrying about drama with childhood friends right now. She has a meeting with Elijah and she has to be on top of her game. She refuses to blow it with the one member of her new _family_ who actually respects her and her opinions. Of course, they are great opinions, she didn't spend all those hours every week learning about political leadership and espionage for nothing!

Caroline reaches up to push open the heavy mahogany door of the politics and history section of the library, but the smile falls from her face the second the door opens, and suddenly the best part of her day becomes the worst.

"What are you doing here?" She scowls

Klaus raises his eyebrows, giving her a cheeky grin. It is truly a gift how the man manages to seam childish and completely terrifying at the same time. His dimpled smile screams happiness and warmth but his eyes are filled with enough ice to freeze a person in their spot while he rips their heart out. He is the single most unsettling man Caroline has ever met "nice to see you too, sweetheart" Caroline remains completely still, fear hidden behind a scowl, refusing to reply "why don't you take a seat, I think we need to talk" he says gesturing graciously toward the chair in front of her. He softens a little when she doesn't respond and says more earnestly "come on, what do you have to lose, hm?"

The seventeen year old girl inside of Caroline feels her heart involuntarily jump at the little softening of his eyes and wider spread of his easy smile, melting her fear and replacing it with something else, something she really doesn't want to deal with right now (or ever!). She is just lucky that years of experience have taught her how to push that little girl inside away and compose her outside into the princess she has to be. With a mask of perfectly emotionless features she moves gracefully toward the chair, smoothing her skirts as she takes her seat

A moment of semi-uncomfortable silence passes between them. Klaus' eyes seem to pierce right through her, studying every inch of her face as though he is trying to commit it to memory. Caroline shifts a little in her chair, folding her hands in her lap "so… where is Elijah?"

Klaus laughs, actually laughs… it's a strange sight, his face that is usually so serious and menacing transforming instantly. It's not a type of laugh that Caroline is used to. Not carefree and smiling, more amusedly surprised. He is looking at Caroline as though she is the most confusing and intriguing thing he's ever seen "piece of advice love, when a man who intends to marry you asks you to talk, maybe wait at least a few moments before mentioning his brother." He tilts his head "one might start to make some very uncharitable assumptions"

Blood rushes to Caroline's cheeks in embarrassment and anger "well you will have to forgive me, it is not as though I was expecting you" she says curtly

"I don't have to do anything" his words are harsh but his face remains unchanged, features set in that unsettling mask of intrigued amusement and ever present hostility "and as for Elijah, I sent him to attend to a bit of-" he pauses, smirking at some cruel joke that Caroline does not understand " _business_ in the village with our sister and Kol because-"

"Slaughtering more innocent people who threaten you?" Caroline cuts him off in hostility

"No one threatens me" Klaus growls, amusement dropping in favor of pure maleficence "least of all you which you would do well to remember" the princess continues to glare at him, but nods slowly to signal her disdainful understanding.

Klaus leans back in his chair, taking a breath to calm himself. This is not how he wanted this conversation to go. Not that he has a problem threatening the girl, but it would all be so much easier if she could just co-operate. Though, he has to admit, there is something intriguing about her pride. In some ways it bring to mind a younger, more naive version of himself. Weak, unable to attain the kind of power she knows she was born for, forced to kneel to others in a desperate attempt to save that which matters most to her.

Klaus pushes the thought from his head, now is not the time for sympathizing with the Forbes girl. There are certainly many parts of her that he enjoys and fully intends to indulge himself in, but he will have several years to play with her after the wedding and before she must be disposed of. For now he is determined to keep this meeting strictly business. Though neither the determined, angry, yet somehow still adorably pouty stare she is fixing on him or the tight green silk garment fixed tightly around her body are helping his resolve.

He shakes his head, returning to business "I sent them off because we need to talk"

"And you could not simply call for me? " She challenges in a huff "You have to encroach on the hour a day I get to discuss what actually matters to me with the one person who treats me with some decency"

Klaus slams his hand on the table in anger "I suppose I could have, but there are a lot of clocks around. I'd hate for you to get lost on the way to our meeting" his glare in intense and carries with it the meaning behind his words. He knows- he knows that she has been trying to avoid him and he knows how she escaped that night. There is nowhere she can hide.

"Touché" she concedes tersely, motioning for him to begin

"I have been very generous in giving you time to adjust, but it is time we make a joint announcement to the people regarding your future here"

Caroline exhales loudly, rolling her eyes and looking briefly away "so you want me to stand in front of my people holding your hand and tell them to trust you and respect your authority"

Klaus nods his head "I don't know why you're acting so surprised Caroline, this was the deal you came to me with. The support of the commoners is what you offer and need I remind you that in exchange you receive both your life and a say in civilian welfare."

Caroline continues to look angrily at him, upset not only by his pompous attitude and condescending tone, but also because she knows he is right. She agreed to this. She just neglected to consider how difficult it is going to be to swallow her pride and do what is best.

"Fine" she says through her teeth "but if you think that I am going to stand there quietly while you use me to make some stupid power play then you are crazy. I will write the announcement and address my people"

Unbelievable. She is absolutely unbelievable; sitting here making demands of him… does she not understand how this works? He should not be the one making deals, she should do exactly as he says and be grateful for what he has offered. "Careful princess, you overestimate your power in this relationship"

"And you underestimate my power in this country" she fires back "I understand that it may be difficult for your ego to accept this, but you need me as much as I need you"

Klaus grits his teeth, hating the loss of power, no matter how small "we do the announcement together"

"Agreed"

Klaus exhales, running a hand over his face "we can decide what to say later, but for now I think it is imperative that the wedding happen as soon as possible to make the announcement resonate more potently with the people"

Sadness washes over Caroline, her face falling at his words. Of course, the wedding. A day that she has looked forward to her entire life- a beautiful dress, all of her friends and family, her father giving her away to the man she loves- it is what every little girl old enough to throw a pillow case over the back of her head dreams of, but not what she will experience. He probably wants to do it quickly and quietly. Caroline looks up with just her eyes, briefly catching the man in front of her seaming distraught by her sadness and holding back tears she nods slowly, the fight leaving her body

Klaus is utterly shocked by the instant transformation that the words have on her, it is unsettling to watch the strong, argumentative little spitfire turn completely crestfallen in an instant. Her tear filled nod pulls at the dead organ inside his chest and no matter how much he fights it, he cannot help but feel for the princess. It is easy to forget when she argues how young she is. Seventeen is a pitiful amount of years to truly live. Yet this girl is somehow prepared to give up the rest of her life. Klaus' eyes catch hers and he can almost see the loss of a real wedding day swimming in her clear blue irises

And suddenly he is speaking, seemingly against his will "good, since we are agreed on that you may start the preparations whenever you like" what? No, she can't! This is not about her! "I want the day to be so grand the kingdom will not soon forget it" no, he wants it to be small and official and just enough to placate the masses, but she is not fighting tears anymore and for some reason that forces him to continue "my sister will want to be heavily involved and will of course be one of your maids, but invite any other friends you wish to come and help with the preparations" the last thing he needs is a bunch of girls running around with fabric… but now she is smiling. It may be slight, just a small upturn of one corner of her mouth, but it is the most beautiful thing Klaus has ever seen. He would do anything to keep it on her face "you have one week and full use of royal resources. Let's really put on a show" he smiles back at her and she nods again, her top teeth latching onto her bottom lip as her eyes glaze over with plans. She is happy. It is in that instant that Klaus feels something terrifying inside of him, something that makes him want to do anything to keep this beautiful, intelligent, brave woman in front of him happy for as long as he lives. Only one thought manages to manifest itself in his brain over the whirl blond curls and porcelain skin-

 _This is not good._

 **And we see the king crack! I really hope you guys liked the chapter, next time: more on where Bonnie has been disappearing too and a royal announcement that you do not want to miss!**


	5. Long live the queen

**Sorry it took me a few extra day to get this out, life has been crazy! Hope you like it either way!**

 **Chapter 5**

"Caroline is beginning to grow suspicious, she asks so many questions that I cannot answer" Bonnie says leaning back against Kol's bare chest, pulling the rich fabric of the sheet tighter around her. An insatiable feeling of guilt washes over her for the millionth time since she rekindled her relationship with Kol. How could she not feel guilty? She is quite literally sleeping with the enemy, and lying about it to her best friend at every turn. Bonnie finds only a brief acquiescence of her shame in the fact that her relationship with Kol is purely physical now. She refuses to have feelings for him. No deep conversations, no personal connections, just sex. She is not in love with him. He is not the boy she knew. At least, that is what she continues to tell herself.

Kol smiles a little at the adorable concerned wrinkle that forms between her brows "I wouldn't worry about that too much, after the announcement this afternoon she is going to be so consumed with wedding plans that she will not have time to worry about how you spend your free time"

Bonnie's mouth twitches a little "Yeah, I guess that is true" her tone is not relieved as he expected it to be; instead it carries the implication of her sudden realization. Bonnie sits up, brushing the hair out of her face and looking around the room, she sighs "this is not right"

In a moment she has pulled the sheet off the bed to cover her exposed body and is scampering around the giant suite in search of her discarded clothing.

Kol is up even faster than Bonnie, kneeling on all fours atop the mattress he reaches out a strong arm to try and grab the girl behind the storm of clothes several times "What just happened? Why are you getting dressed?" he pouts "I can assure you I have no intention of being done anytime soon" he lifts the corners of his mouth up into his signature irresistible boyish smirk, and Bonnie pauses for a moment

"I- no. No I have to go, this is wrong," she says pulling her underclothes on and beginning to struggle with the zipper

"How can this be wrong?" he asks, genuinely confused "I think we can both agree that it _feels_ pretty _right"_

Bonnie whirls around to face him, speaking her mind before she can stop herself "my best friend is getting married in six days and instead of sitting by her side I am sleeping with the man who killed her mother"

"I thought we moved past that?" He complains sitting back with his butt on the heels of his feet; why is it so hard for her to forgive him? He apologized and told her he would protect her!

Bonnie turns her head to give the man in front of her the full force of her _did you really just say that?-_ look "No we did not move past this! We can never move past this" she says, grabbing some of her hair in frustration "but after days of you continuing to apologize I just… " she moves forward, with her dress still hanging off her left shoulder Bonnie reaches a hand up to touch his cheek "I cannot help myself. I look at you and I see the second boy I ever loved. I see the boy I met in the woods and I just…I lose control." She drops her hand "I want to see you so I convinced myself that we could do this with just sex but that is not possible. I cannot be with you and not feel" she pauses, looking at him sadly before shaking her head. No, he is a monster; her friends must always come first "so I cannot see you. Caroline is my best friend, I will not betray her like this"

Frustration runs through Kol once again, it is an emotion he is very used to dealing with having grown up with Niklaus, but the past days of trying desperately to win over the little witch once again only to be called a monster at every turn is really starting to affect him "you cannot be serious darling , what more can I do?" he sits back up on his knees, desperately reaching towards her "I will do whatever you want, just tell me"

Bonnie swears she can feel an actual pull in her heart, and all she wants to do is throw her arms around Kol and fall back into the bed and never leave again. Unfortunately, that is just not possible . She gives a sad smile "I truly wish that I could, but I cannot tell you that. There may have been a time for us in the past… but not now"

Kol's jaw hardens and he nods tersely, feeling a crack spread through his heart as the love of his life zips her dress, spares him one final glance, and walks out the door. Perhaps he should fight or cry or something, but instead he is left with a single bitter thought: _She cannot be the love of his life. His life ended years ago._

XXX

Caroline's hands begin to turn white from the sheer force gripping her skirts. Her entire body is tense and filled with nerves. She stands completely still in front of the door to the balcony where she will address the entire population of The Mystic Kingdom. Of course in his infinite need to show power Klaus insisted that every lord, lady, duke, duchess, general, royal guard, and anyone else with even a hint of a title made the journey from any corner of the country to stand beneath the palace and listen to her speak. To hear her give away her power to him. Then of course word spread throughout the country and every social climber made the journey. Then there is the entire population of the capitol and surrounding villages. Thousands of people are out there. The princess can hear the hum of voices floating upward and it certainly is not helping her nerves.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you won't make a complete and utter fool of yourself, " a high, taunting voice says entering the room. Great, one more thing that is not helping her nerves

"Rebekah this is really not the time" Caroline says in an exhausted voice. The new _princess-_ it still hurts to call her that- seems to find out exactly when the worst moments to appear are and then rattles Caroline at all of those times. It is one thing when she shows up before meetings with Elijah, but this is a step too far. She will not allow this spoiled brat to destroy her announcement. She has worked too hard and sacrificed too much to watch it all crumble because of a spoiled Mikaelson.

Rebekah takes a few steps forward and Caroline turns to face her. She is an absolute vision as usual; a deep purple gown clinging to her body and a band of brilliant diamonds around her neck. She always manages to appear at a level of perfection that Caroline knows she will never be able to emulate. The princess glances down at her own sky blue lace and silk dress, feeling horribly inadequate. Caroline knows that as wrong as it may be, appearance is important. It brings power and she cannot help but think that Rebekah's strong features garner an authority that her soft ones never will. She carries herself with a near unfathomable amount of self-assurance and strength, much like Katherine.

Rebekah glares at the girl in front of her "Oh you did not seriously think that I would ever miss this little speech of yours did you? Life can be boring, I like to experience a natural disaster every once and a while"

 _What would Katherine say?_ Caroline wonders silently for a moment. She then squares her shoulders and attempts to appear as strong as Rebekah "Do whatever you like, just do it silently"

Rebekah laughs, about to tear into the girl when she hears loud footsteps coming down the hall. She composes herself, gives a calculated smile and moves to sit in her throne "as you wish _princess"_

Caroline tilts her head, looking at Rebekah curiously. Why did she back down so quickly? Perhaps the girl does have some sense of decorum. Perhaps she understands how important this is. Perhaps Caroline is better at emulating Katherine than she thought! The door clicks open and Klaus walks in sporting his signature smirk with Kol and Elijah dutifully trailing behind him. Of course, that is why Rebekah quieted herself

"Sister" Klaus says ignoring the fact that Caroline is even in the room "I am truly amazed that you managed to arrive on time"

Rebekah smiles radiantly, all traces of her earlier malice vanishing in an instant "How could I be even a moment late for something so important to my favorite brother"

Klaus smiles and Kol rolls his eyes, walking away from his siblings and towards Caroline "he is only her favorite because he has the most power" Kol whispers in Caroline's ear and she laughs lightly despite herself, sharing a conspiratory look with the youngest male mikaelson.

Klaus turns away from his sister, facing his future wife for the first time that day. His breath catches for a moment when he sees her. It is not just that she looks beautiful, which of course she does- he likes her best in blue, he has decided- but it is that he never knows what to expect from her. Every expression that she folds her beautiful features into is unique and intriguing. She stands, teeth folded over her bottom lip, hands gripping her skirt clearly nervous and yet her eyes practically stare daggers into Rebekah (it has never been a secret that the two princess' do not get along), head held high ready to address the country.

Klaus smirks stepping slowly closer to her. He stops just in front of her "you look ravishing love" great satisfaction fills him at the delicious shade of red that burns across her cheeks.

It is the first time Klaus has ever genuinely complimented her and Caroline is unsure what to say, so she remains silent as he gallantly holds his hand out to her "shall we?"

She nods her head slowly, catching herself becoming lost in his gaze. Seconds pass though they feel like hours as they get lost in each other. A throat clears-Elijah- and Caroline snaps herself out of the reverie. She cannot be falling for him… can she? The princess shakes her head and turns ignoring Klaus' hand "let's just get today over with"

Klaus drops his arm in frustration, moving swiftly behind Caroline. He grabs her hand tightly, squeezing it in a silent threat, warning her not to fight him. She glares at him but lets out a breath and moves forward.

XXX

Caroline shakes for only a moment before lifting her head confidently. The princess watches the balcony doors swing open, hears the fanfare of royal trumpets, and steps forward hand in hand with the man who murdered her father to deceive thousands of people in order to save her country.

A collective gasp echoes throughout the crowd, shock clear on the faces of noblemen and farmers alike. The princess whom they all thought dead has been resurrected; a moment of silence passes before a single clap is heard that turns into a thunderous applause. Caroline smiles relieved that the kingdom seems to be welcoming her back with open arms instead of reacting coldly to her for standing on the arm of a traitor.

The princess waves for a moment before holding her hand up in a request for silence "thank you" she smiles "truly, your support means more to me than I will ever be able to express."

Klaus finds himself having to fight to keep his face stony and powerful when Caroline's smile is shining brighter than the sun, he has never seen her this genuinely happy. He is convinced it is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen, and the thought that this little human may be sneaking her way into his heart makes him upset enough that he easily keeps his face steady.

"I appreciate your warm welcome back, I know that many rumors have circulated regarding my whereabouts following the death of my parents-" Caroline's voice quivers a little as she says the words and the people below interrupt her immediately

"Long live King Forbes. Queen Elizabeth may she rest in peace"

The princess smiles, seeing the love the people have for her parents "thank you. I want to start this address by assuring all of you that any rumor you may have heard about me in the past few weeks was very untrue. I love my kingdom more than anything else in the world and I would never abandon you. So long as I am alive there will be someone inside of this castle fighting for all of you"

Everyone below explodes in cheers and Caroline buckles under the pain of Klaus squeezing her hand harshly, clearly angered by her suggesting she will have to fight the new royals for the people's rights.

"Now for the reason we have gathered you all here" Caroline takes a breath and turns to look at Klaus before speaking "tradition is one of the most important values that the Mystic Kingdom holds. For hundreds of years the Mystic Kingdom was ruled by the Mikaelson family and for a century after that it was governed by the Forbes'. Recent events have made it clear that the Mikaelson line did not suffer the fate that we thought it did. Because of this King Niklaus and I have reached an agreement that we believe will be in the best interest of this country. A blend of the old and the new"

"Hurry it up sweetheart" Klaus whispers between his teeth

Caroline takes a deep breath in "King Niklaus and I would like to formally announce to all of our citizens, whom we consider to be our very close friends that on the day before Sabbath of next week we will be joined in marriage"

Klaus allows himself a brief self-satisfied smile as the words escape her lips. For a moment it feels as though the entire country stands in silence.

Lord Jonathan Pierce is the first to speak from the elevated box holding the Lords and their families "Long Reign the king. Long live the queen." His booming voice echoes throughout the square, dictating the traditional motto of the Mystic Kingdom's royalty

"Long reign the king. Long live the queen" a deafening chorus echoes before the square erupts for the third time that morning into an enormous applause. Caroline smiles in relief and Klaus smirks at the people.

Klaus lifts his right hand to wave and snakes his left one around Caroline's waist, using his strength to jerk her body towards him, forcing her to face him as he reaches down to lift up her chin and captures her lips in his.

The crowd gets even louder, but the world falls silent to Caroline. Shock fills her as his lips press against hers, and for a moment the princess feels she has lost her mind because she begins to kiss him back, raising her hands to thread behind his neck. Every cell in her brain is shouting at her to rip away, but every nerve in her body is pushing her closer, pressing her more securely against his firm chest, inhaling his woodsy sent deeper into her nostrils, feeling the electric warmth of his full lips. The kiss could have lasted for a second or a year, Caroline will never know because in that instant time ceased to matter and they are immortal. She is sure of it.

Alive, he is alive again. His heart is beating, the air in his body is a necessity, he could be killed in an instant by a dagger she plunges into his chest. He is sure of it. Kissing Caroline is the first thing that has made Klaus feel truly alive in many decades and it is with great reluctance that he pulls away from the sheer force of light and life that tries to make him stay there forever. Only his thirst for power is greater than his desire for this girl. Perhaps this wedding will be a good idea for more reasons than one.

Caroline collects herself quickly and smiles to the people "I would also like to personally invite the Pierce's and the Salvatore's to the castle for next sunrise. Thank you" she says before following Klaus back into the throne room and hearing the door close behind her

She speaks immediately when they are alone-save for his siblings- not wanting to address the kiss. It was a power play she is sure, and even if it was not she does not want to know that. "I apologize for upsetting you with my earlier comment. I did not mean to imply that you did not care for the people, I only wanted to preserve my reputation from the rumors"

Klaus watches her eyes dart around as she speaks, slightly out of breath and far faster than normal. He is a little surprised that she is so calm. Did she not feel what he felt? It would appear not. He nods his head slowly "I understand. Just see that it does not happen again."

"Of course" She courtsy's politely, perhaps the first time she has been that formal with him and turns immediately to Elijah "we have a meeting now, correct?"

Elijah rises in an instant "yes princess" he says politely, holding his arm out to her "let us move to the library" and in an instant the two are gone.

XXX

"So that went well" Rebekah says without moving from her chair

Klaus nods, still looking after the woman who disappeared on his brother's arm "indeed. Better than I had expected in fact. The people truly care for her"

Rebekah rolls her eyes "yes well humans can be very stupid" honestly, why anyone would fawn over that girl amazed her, she is nothing special. Sure, she is beautiful, but she is a princess, anyone given the luxuries she is would look beautiful. At least that is what Rebekah tells herself, whether or not she truly believes it is another matter entirely. Caroline's ability to be so deeply loved by the people is in fact a huge threat to the original. Rebekah knows that she commands power, but the other princess holds a soft kindness that she will never possess.

Several moments of silence pass between the three siblings before Rebekah stands abruptly "well, this has been fun but I am going to see if I can find a nice kitchen boy. I am feeling rather famished" and she disappears, leaving Klaus to deal with Kol's withering stare

"What have I done to offend you now brother?" he asks, not in a mood to deal with Kol's antics

Kol laughs, the irony of Niklaus' comment getting to him "oh it is not me you have wronged against Nik" he moves to stand in front of his brother, raising his hand to clap him on the shoulder "it is yourself"

Klaus remains quiet briefly, studying his brother's undecipherable features "what are you going on about, Kol?"

"Caroline. You've fallen for her" it is a statement, not a question.

Ice runs through Klaus' body. No, Kol cannot know of his feelings for Caroline. No one can know of his feelings for her. If they know then he is weak. "Do not be ridiculous. She is merely a means to an end"

Pain flashes through Kol's eyes; pain for his brother, if anyone can see through the bravado and misplaced anger of his attempted cover up while still sympathizing, it is him. "Deny it all you want, but I see the way you look at her brother."

Klaus shrugs, trying to play his feelings off "she amuses me for the moment, that is all. The girl is beautiful why not enjoy her for a year or two before she meets her inevitable end"

Again Kol laughs, he made this mistake once as well, believing that he could simply toy with a girl for a while and then erase her from his system, but that is not how the heart works. Once someone is in there, they are nearly impossible to shake. A woman who can rule a man's heart can also destroy him, and Kol does not want that for his brother. "Allow me to save you some heart break," he begins slowly "forget about her. Stay as far away from the princess as possible, because a girl like that will never love you. You will always be a monster to her." Kol can see in his brother's eyes that the words are landing "we died alone the first time Nik and we will die alone again"

Thank you for your time. Reviews are bae also ;)


	6. L'amour e la diplomazia

**Hey! Sorry, I know this is a little late, but hopefully you still enjoy!**

Chapter 6

"You were down there for an entire week without me knowing?" Elena screeches, turning her gaze from the princess to her twin "why did you not tell me Katherine!"

The brunette in question rolls her eyes, speaking truthfully "because Elena, as much as everyone adores you, you are incapable of keeping your mouth shut!"

Elena huffs, muttering something about that not being true and Caroline knows she should break in and defend Elena, but she just continues to smile. It feels like old times. Sitting here on the porch, overlooking the rose gardens with Elena and Katherine bickering, Bonnie bringing them tea, the Salvatore brothers wandering the castle (no doubt arguing over which one of them loves Elena more), it feels… normal. She sighs, bringing the delicate teacup to her smiling mouth, allowing herself to bask in the simplicity of the illusion of life before the Mikaelson's.

"Anyway" Katherine waves a hand, evaporating Caroline's mirage of paradise "enough about your ego, Caroline you must tell us all the news at court"

The princess sighs, wanting to preserve the moment of normalcy just a little bit longer "oh we will get to that soon enough. Klaus and his siblings are partaking of a hunt at the moment but once they get back we will all have dinner and you will be introduced to the monsters in law then. For now, I want to hear all about you two!"

"Oh but our lives are so much more boring than yours" Elena pouts

"The famous Pierce girls boring? Never!" Caroline exclaims in a mock scandalized tone "where could we begin" she says, putting her finger to her lip, gaze casting out towards the garden "hmmmmm, what could you girls possible have to tell me about?" the twins remain frustratingly quiet, either not picking up on Caroline's obvious hints or just ignoring them "how about we start with…"she raises an eyebrow, leaning forward "the Salvatore brother-"

"How about we don't" Katherine scoffs, rolling her eyes

"Oh come on" Caroline begs "I would give anything to drown myself in drama that is not my own! Please, save me from my own thoughts!" she clutches Elena's hand in her right one and Katherine's in her left

Elena looks down guiltily, clearly not wanting to speak "I suppose at least you cannot judge me"

"I would never judge you Elena" Caroline says tenderly, realizing that this is something more than the siblings arguing over who was courted by which Salvatore first "you can tell me anything"

The brunette nods, refusing to meet Caroline's gaze "Stefan proposed" she says quietly

Caroline pulls her head back in surprise "oh, wow" she says, pausing for a beat "wait, I'm confused. Isn't this a good thing! You and Stefan are perfect together!" she smiles, already wondering if she could talk Klaus into a double wedding- definitely not- or at least convince Elena to be married at the palace!

Elena remains looking down in shame "it would be, except um… I sort of-"

"She kissed Damon" Katherine says, somehow managing to layer those three words with concern, disinterest, and disgust all at the same time.

Caroline's eyes fly to Katherine and then back to Elena "YOU DID WHAT!?"

"SHHH" Elena turns sharply towards her sister "I have not told Stefan yet and I would prefer he not hear about it from either of your shouting!"

"Wait" Caroline says turning back to Elena "you did accept the proposal, right?" Elena's silence and downcast gaze are all the answer she needs. Seriously? Elena rejected the perfect man, a man that she is in love with just because his brother showed her a bit of attention? Does she not realize what a luxury it is that her parents are allowing her to choose the man she marries? That she even has parents! The princess reels back in anger "so what" she begins incredulously "are you like switching Salvatore's now?"

Katherine laughs loudly and insensitively as Elena sighs, "I don't know what I want"

Caroline rolls her eyes "well you better figure it out because Stefan is a catch and there are a million girls who would love to marry him!" she snaps, defending her childhood friend. He deserves to be loved and if Elena cannot love him and only him then she needs to let him be free to find someone who can.

"I know" Elena says, her fragile voice breaking as tears start to spill down her cheeks. Guilt fills Caroline at the sight of her friend so distraught.

"I'm sorry," she says wrapping her arms around Elena "I am just upset and angry about my own life and projecting my feeling on you" she feels her own eyes begin to water, thinking of all the things she has to project

"Hey no crying!" Katherine scolds, "you know that I do _not_ do tears"

Caroline sits up straight, wiping her eyes "you are right Kat, no more pity parties" she smiles, pausing for a moment before turning back to Elena "goodness, how did you end up with an even more complicated romantic life than me?" she asks and all three girls burst out in laughter. Katherine laughs because she is too strong for tears, Elena laughs because it is the only way to stop the tears, and Caroline laughs because… well, what else can she do really? Her ability to smile is one of the few things she still has control over no matter what. If she just continues to smile then she cannot be sad. Right?

XXX

Klaus smiles coldly, wiping the last remnants of the buxom bar maid from his lips. He has not been able to hunt in far too long and it is an amazing feeling. Clarity, that is what he feels. His thoughts have been so muddy lately-so full of humanity, and it has been causing him to act differently. He hates it. This is what life is about; sitting in a tavern in the country that he rules with his reckless little brother as they drink their fill and compel their thrills. This is vampirism and it is all he wants. It truly is. He is not even thinking of golden blond curls as he fists his hands in the auburn hair of the woman on his lap. The thought of a princess' shining smile means nothing to him as his own teeth sink deeper into this woman's neck. The thought of how amazing _her_ body would feel pressed up against his in the way that the bar wench's currently is does not even cross his mind. All he cares about is blood. He is sure of it

"Kol stop playing with your food, we have a dinner to make" Elijah scolds as he enters the bar, using a white linen handkerchief to clean his mouth

Kol turns to him with a boyish smirk "aww C'mon 'Lijah, just five more minuets" he jokes looking into the fearful eyes of the pretty brunette on his lap, brining a finger up to trace along her jawline "we were having so much fun, weren't we darling" the girl looks up at Elijah, practically begging him for help and he sighs, turning his back on the pitiful scene "Rebekah will be done in three minuets, I expect you both outside at that time as well"

"ay ay captain" Kol laughs, returning to his meal

Klaus drops the now dead girl to the floor and stands quickly "I think I will go on ahead, I need some time alone".

Kol gives him a knowing glance "mhhmm, just remember what I told you Nik"

"It is not about that" Klaus growls "I am simply tired of being around you and would like some time to myself" the defensive way he snaps at his brother does little to pacify Kol's thoughts or suspicions and Klaus knows it; but instead of staying to argue he flashes out of the bar, running towards the castle.

Since becoming king Klaus is usually much more careful when using his vampire abilities, not waning anyone to find out until he has a tight enough grip on the country. Especially not Caroline. _Caroline._ It is the first time he has allowed her name to cross his thoughts since he left the castle, though definitely not the first time he has thought of her.

No matter how much he continues to fight it, Caroline Forbes has wormed her way underneath his skin and he is not yet sure in what capacity he wishes to keep her there. The plan has always been to marry the girl, ignore her for a few years while he and his siblings gain people's trust and then dispose of her, but perhaps that plan could be rethought- perhaps it would be worth it to keep her around, maybe turn her some day. _No._ He is getting far to ahead of himself, if he turned every beautiful woman who smiled at him there would be no one left to eat. And yet… he cannot shake the feeling that she is so much more than that-

Klaus looks up, not even realizing until he nearly smacks into the stone wall that he is back at the castle. Clearly his musings occupied him longer than he thought. Not wanting to draw attention to the fact that he is on foot and not horseback or carriage as he should be, the king slips in through the back entrance. He immediately attempts to seek out Caroline, assuming that she will want a formal introduction between him and her friends before dinner.

When Klaus is a floor below the princess' quarters he pauses, cocking his head to listen to the soft voices he hears coming from around the corner

"It has just been so hard since I have not been able to see you Care. I feel like a part of me is missing" a distinctly male voice says and Klaus feels a growl build low in his throat. He pushes the sound down and moves slowly to conceal himself behind a table and vase to take in the sight in front of him. Caroline stands only inches away from a tall, light haired man, smiling at him with the softest, most kind look he has ever seen. Who is this man? What has he done to deserve Caroline to look at him like that? Anger fills Klaus at the thought of _his_ future queen in the arms of another man

"I know Stefan. Believe me I have missed you as well, more than you know" she reaches to grab the man's hand "but you are one of the truest men I have ever met, and you deserve to be loved fully. Just give it a little bit more time and I promise you will have everything you could possibly want" she pulls him into a tight hug, smiling against his shoulder and Klaus turns away, storming down the hallway like a bullet from a gun-violent, on fire, and well aimed.

XXX

Caroline pulls back from Stefan and he sighs "Everything was just easier when you were around. I could talk to you and you were always so good at talking to her"

Caroline smiles "that is because I know what Elena wants better than she does. And trust me, she wants _you!_ She is just confused"

Stefan nods, grunting in frustration "I am so not this guy. I hate being this guy, I feel so damn pathetic!"

"You are not pathetic! You are my best friend and I hate pathetic people, so do not call yourself that mister" the princess points a finger at him harshly "You are a man in love! And nothing that a man does for love is pathetic. It is romantic"

Stefan opens his mouth to respond when the faint sound of trumpets from outside fills their ears

"Looks like the monsters have returned" Caroline sighs "I am going to go talk to _his highness_ and I will call for you and Damon and the twins in a few moments, alright?"

Stefan smiles "okay, good luck"

"Thank you, I shall need it"

Caroline hurries down the hall, unsure if she should look to the throne room or his quarters to find Klaus. In the end she settles on his quarters. He has a tendency to shut himself away after prolonged exposure to other people, and part of her is hoping he is there so she does not have to speak to his siblings.

She comes to stand in front of his door and knocks her hand lightly against the wood

"Go away Kol, I am in no mood for your speeches right now" comes an angry voice from the other side of the door

"um" she begins softly "I am not Kol, and I do not have any speeches" she laughs lightly only to be greeted by a deafening moment of silence before the lock of the door clicks and it swings open to reveal Klaus standing in his ornate sitting room.

He looks down at her in a way that is very different from what she has grown to expect from him. He looks at her how he did on their first meeting, like a wolf looking at its prey "well you, sweetheart, should have a speech for me" he growls grabbing the princess by her slim wrist and pulling her violently into the room "or do you not wish to defend yourself?" he slams the door and pulls her body tight against his own, giving her no room to move.

Caroline looks up at him in fear "I have no idea what you are talking about… I just came to tell you that my friends were hoping for an audience before dinner" she says, hoping to pacify his anger.

Klaus turns his head to look down at her, his blue eyes shooting ice into her soul as he glares at her with anger and… disappointment?

He moves in an instant and -far faster than humanly possible- he has fixed his hands on her shoulders and pushed Caroline up against the nearest wall, tearing into her with the harshest tone he can muster "really? You have nothing to say?" he growls in a threatening voice, then continues at a shout "NOTHING!"

Every muscle in Caroline's body goes stiff in fear, she pushes herself farther into the wall in a desperate attempt to get away from the monster in front of her, turning her head away to save herself some of the force of his wrath, but he fixes his thumb and index finger onto her chin and pulls her face back towards his

"Have you no words to defend yourself, love?" he asks, pulling back "are you really so freely admitting to being a _whore"_ he spits at her, pushing her body to the ground in disgust, smiling as he watches her tremble and crumble in defeat. She deserves this. How dare this little Forbes wench bring her lover into _his_ castle. How dare she make a fool of him by carrying on with another man! How dare she let any other man touch her, speak to her, have her! She is his! She has always been his, even if neither of them knew it. "I do not hold much patience for those who disappoint me Caroline" he says, towering over her "I should kill you right now. Fortunately for you I still need your help" Klaus is sure that is the only reason he has not torn her to shreds. He still needs her. It has nothing to do with his feelings! "I will dispose of your lover, however, and I would not suggest taking another. It would be a shame to ruin the floors of the castle with all that blood"

Klaus turns away from the girl on the floor, ready to storm out, leaving her to weep until she has come to her senses- but a small broken voice stops him "how dare you" the voice, broken as it is, is far stronger than it should be, carries more authority than a woman shoved to the ground and accused of being unvirtuous should be able to command " _how dare you_ accuse me of such an act!" she yells at him, forcing herself to her feet "I see what you are trying to do! You want to defame me, to destroy my reputation so that after we are married you have cause to be rid of me! Well I will not allow it. I have done nothing wrong and if you want to get rid of me you will have to kill me with your own two hands you miserable coward!"

Klaus turns around quickly, swirling in a tornado of anger as he yells "oh really? So that was not you downstairs hanging all over that man, telling him how true he is and how much he deserves love? It was not you who promised he would have everything he wishes!"

Caroline lets out an angry huff "yes, it was" she spits at him "that man is named Stefan Salvatore, he has been my best friend since I met him twelve years ago and he recently proposed to a woman I think of as my sister!' Klaus blinks in confusion "he deserves to be loved _by her_. She is the only woman that either of us want to love him!"

"Oh" Klaus says lamely, realizing how he has misread the situation

"yeah, oh" Caroline crosses her arms "maybe next time you want to accuse me of sleeping with someone, make sure they aren't engaged first. Ok?" she fumes at him, Klaus opens his mouth to apologize, taking a step closer to her but she steps away form him "save it, I have no need for your apologies. You have made it quite clear what you think of me. We are not in love; we are in a business deal. We do not have to like each other" she walks past him to exit the room, stopping briefly at the door "be in the throne room in five minuets to meet my _friends._ We will have an audience followed by dinner, and then I see no reason for you to talk to me until the unfortunate moment that we have to say I do. Or anytime after that."

XXX

Caroline sits stiffly in the chair usually occupied by Elijah, trying to keep herself from yelling or crying or having a nervous frieken breakdown in front of her closest friends. They all have enough going on in their lives to worry about without having to stress themselves over her _relationship_ problems… well, except maybe Katherine. Caroline cannot help but smile a little at the thought that at least this has not changed. She is still strong, she is still sitting in a throne, and she is still spending all of her time taking care of her friends… well, except maybe Katherine.

"So what exactly are we supposed to say when the royal dick gets here?" Damon asks bluntly "I mean I sure as hell do not plan on bowing"

"Damon you will be respectful" Elena says quietly, properly.

Caroline smiles a little "Elena is right, I absolutely cannot condone any disrespectful behavior towards the royal dick"

Damon laughs "nice to see you still have that bite blondie"

"Well if it really is bigger than her bark then I would say we are all in danger" a loud voice sounds from the door to the room and every head snaps immediately towards the man who has just entered before slowly bowing down in respect. Every head except Caroline's that is. Even Damon, _traitor_ she thinks in annoyance.

The princess stands graciously, plastering a fake smile on her face she begins to speak "good afternoon my lord" she curtseys slowly "how was your hunt?"

"Regrettable" he raises his head to make eye contact with her "I lost far more than I gained"

"Well perhaps you were shooting when there was nothing there" she glares

Klaus nods slowly, acknowledging his mistake, if she did not know him better Caroline might think his blues eyes look almost sincere "I suppose I was too eager. I expected animals to be in places they were not and so I shot. It is in my nature to be aggressive and impulsive"

"Well to fault you for that would be to fault you for being a man, your majesty" Elena says in a syrupy sweet voice, causing every pair of eyes in the room-save for Stefan's and her own- to roll

"Niklaus this is Lady Elena Pierce, daughter of Lord John and Lady Isobel" Caroline introduces formally

"A pleasure" the girl smiles, lifting her hand

Klaus takes it with a sour expression, already disliking the predictably docile girl in front of him. Doe eyes and unfaltering obedience just like every other lady of the kingdom "charmed" he says with a tight-lipped grimace as he reluctantly raises her hand to his lips

"And this is her twin sister, Katherine" the girl who shares a face with the lady he just met steps forward, though it is quickly clear that they share only features and not expression or personality. The girl takes a few careful steps forward, brown eyes glaring daggers at him. Her glare is no stronger but somehow colder than Caroline's. This one he can see being a friend of his Queen's. She acts angrily and greets him as though he is a bug on her shoe "your majesty" she says the words as though they are the filthiest insult she can imagine.

"Lady Pierce" he says carefully, angering the girl can only serve to make Caroline even more upset with him.

"May I present as well the eldest son of Duke Giuseppe and Duchess Lilly; Marquees Damon Salvatore" Klaus looks at the man in front of him, struck immediately by the air of confidence that surrounds him

"Salvatore?" Klaus inquires as he shakes the man's hand "Is that not Itallian? What brings you to the Mystic Kingdom?"

"L'amour e la diplomazia naturalmente," Damon responds with a shrug "what else could bring a nobleman to another kingdom?" he asks

"Truthfully we were never meant to stay as long as we have" the only person in the room who has yet to receive an introduction says "Caroline came to visit us when we were all very young, she was with the ki-"

"With my father" she interrupts "of course we all became friends and I returned to Italy many times as a child and the boys came here with their father on business a few times, so at the beginning of the year when their father sent them here for business I insisted they stay as long as possible" she smiles "oh, and this of course is Lord Stefan Salvatore" Caroline says, watching Klaus to gauge his expression

Klaus smiles, placing his hand in the younger man's and shakes it firmly "Caroline has told me so much about you" his voice is friendly but his eyes are cold.

 ***pulls at collar* whoa, is it tense in here or is it just me? Sorry, had to throw in some classic Klaroline angst, like I said- going for that slooooowwwww burn (but I'm not a sadist like Julie Plec so I promise I'll actually give pay off to the tension!)**

 **I really hope you guys are liking this story, I love hearing from those of you who review and I would really appreciate knowing what everyone thinks! Thanks!**


	7. Never Forever

**Hey! I am so sorry this took so long, I had a computer crash and lost a big chunk so I had to re-write some and it was really discouraging. I apologize if this isn't up to expectations, but at least I got it done! I hope you enjoy.**

 **Chapter 7**

Stefan looks around the large room he has been given to stay at within the castle until the wedding. Truthfully it looks almost exactly like his bedroom in he and Damon's Mystic Kingdom manner, save a few personal articles here and there. Same overly large wooden structured bed covered in silk and fur, same oak wardrobe made from trees in the Mystic forest, same bearskin rug, same writing desk, a single glass window overlooking a very similar (though larger) garden, he could go on. The point is that though it is beautiful, it is not Italy. Everything here looks the same- just in varying degrees of ornateness. Objectively Stefan knows that the same can be said of his home country, but… when everything in his home is the same it is comforting, but here he is just reminded at every turn that he is thousands of miles from Italy and the person he decided to stay here to court is all but avoiding him and he does not know why.

"knock knock" a soft voice calls from the doorway along with the light sound of knuckles on wood.

Stefan looks up and smiles a little "come in Caroline"

The blond positively beams; strolling into the room she places herself right beside him, sitting at the edge of the bed. They sit in a comfortable silence for a few moments; each basking in their own melancholia, feeling comforted by each other's presence.

It is Caroline who finally breaks the silence "okay, I know why I'm moping around like a child, but why are you?" he turns to face her, the sadness in his eyes making it clear. The look he has is one that only a man with a broken heart can possess. She smiles sadly at him, wrapping her small, soft hand around his "Elena will come around, I promise. She is just confused"

He sighs heavily "you cannot know that." She is about to argue when he continues "and it is not just Elena. I miss home, and believe it or not, it does affect me to see one of my best friends about to sign her life away- especially when there is nothing I can do about it!"

Caroline's heart aches seeing her friend in such a miserable state "hey" she says reaching for his hand "hey do not worry about me. I will be fine, honestly. This is my choice and I would not make it if I thought I could not handle it" she smiles a little more genuinely, trying desperately to make him believe her

"I know you can handle it, but you should not have to. I want you to be happy"

"And I want you to be happy" Caroline says "but it looks as though we are both going to be disappointed unless we make ourselves happy"

Stefan laughs a little "Caroline that makes no sense!"

"Of course it does! To rely on other people for ones own happiness is a ridiculous notion. I choose to believe that we are both interesting enough people to make ourselves happy" the princess smiles again, she finds herself doing that a lot when she is with Stefan. It is a little ironic that as she sits here proclaiming that people should be able to make themselves happy, Caroline realizes that this is the first time she has actually tried to be positive about the next sixty or so years of her life, and she knows that it is only because of Stefan. Knowing that someone else wishes you to be happy is by far the greatest incentive to be happy. Not that Caroline would ever say that out loud and undermine her entire point.

"Do you really think you could ever be happy with the king?"

"Do you think you could ever really be happy without Elena?"

Stefan looks down pensively, remaining silent for a moment "yes" he says after some consideration "it would not be easy, but eventually… I would move on"

"Exactly" she says seriously "I may not ever be happy _to be with_ Klaus, but I will be with him, and I will be happy, no matter what"

Stefan looks up at his friend "it should be easier considering the fact that he is completely in love with you" he teases

Caroline laughs, "Please, the only thing that man loves is power. As far as I am considered he is incapable of real feelings"

"Caroline" Stefan says with his –I love you but you are being dense right now- tone "he is letting you plan and throw your dream wedding, invited your friends to stay here, came to meet us all and acted completely civil. He did not hit Damon _or_ Katherine, and I know monks who have failed to show that much restraint! Not to mention the way he looks at you…."

Caroline stops for a second, unsure of what to say and realizes that he is right. Why is Klaus being so indulgent? Sure he had attacked her when he thought she was cheating on him, but if he did not care for her then why would it matter if she was having an affair? Why would he have bothered trying to apologize? Why would he go out of his way to be so charming with her friends? "Oh my God" Caroline says under her breath

XXX

With the wedding getting closer, Bonnie finds herself actually becoming as busy as she had previously been telling Caroline she was. Karma she supposes. Does she believe in karma? Certainly she knows that there must always be a balance in the physical realm of the universe, but what about the emotional realm? After everything she has seen it is a little difficult to believe that the bad people get what they deserve.

The combination of becoming lost in thought, moving very quickly, carrying a large basket, and the staircase she is about to encounter does not bode well for Bonnie as she feels herself knock directly into the satin skirts of a woman who's face she cannot presently see.

"Apologies my lady, I must be more careful of where I am going" she says keeping her head down, hoping it was not some important foreign diplomat who arrived earlier than anticipated. The staff had all been instructed to tread carefully as royal families from many kingdoms will soon begin arriving to ensure positive relations with the new king and queen.

"Bonnie Bennet I have known you since we were both still crawling around these halls, I think we can dispatch the formal titles" a voice half laughs, half scoffs and Bonnie smiles

"I could not even see you over this pile!" she laments "but even if I had, you and your sister are not easy to tell apart and you know important propriety is to her"

"Ah yes, perfect, proper little Elena- probably off dropping her handkerchief in front of one of the Salvatore's and swooning over… anything really"

"Hey, Elena is not as bad as you make her out to be Kat- she has one of the kindest hearts I have ever known, she is simply…"

"Obedient" Katherine finishes Bonnie's thought with a disgusted expression

"You say that like it is a bad thing" she responds, wishing she could be a little more concerned with the things Elena is- it would make life a lot simpler, especially for someone in her station. Bonnie begins to pick up the dropped linens and refill the basket while Katherine continues speaking

"Not at all. I thank the gods every day that Elena is the perfect lady. It gives father someone to concentrate all of his energy on." She smirks "I do believe he gave up on me the day he found that English lord in my bedchamber"

"Which one?" both girls break out into a laugh as Katherine snatches the basket from her friend

"Here" Katherine says thrusting the basket into the hands of a passing guard "deal with this" the man looks confused- it is obviously not his job, but to refuse the request of a Lady would not bode well for him, so he moves on quickly

"You should not have done that"

"Oh he will live. Come, walk with me. Caroline is busy and everyone else in this entire castle is so dreadfully boring I can barely stay awake speaking to them"

"Is that so?" a new voice joins the conversation- a deep, lilting voice belonging to a man stepping out of one of the rooms at the bottom of the staircase

"A thousand apologies my prince" Bonnie begins, bowing "She did not mean-"

"Of course I did not mean you sir" Katherine breaks in seamlessly, speaking slowly "I refer to the inane ladies who are taking tea right now. I have not even met you, it would be a crime to presume someone boring before even speaking to them"

The man nods, moving closer he reaches out his hand to the striking woman in front of him- one of the future queen's friends no doubt. They share many qualities, both too honest for their own good. Though there is something different about the brown-eyed beauty in front of him- something calculated. She holds none of the vulnerability of the princess, she is completely sure of herself. This woman knows who she is, and it is magnetic. She places her delicate hand in his and he lifts it to his mouth without words.

"Perhaps you will allow me the opportunity to prove that not everyone here is so insufferable, my lady"

She bats her eyelashes "it is always easier to find one interesting when you have something to call them"

"Elijah" he says smoothly

"um yes" Bonnie breaks in awkwardly, realizing she should have already introduced them "May I present his majesty Prince Elijah Mikaelson" she says using the proper title before turning to the man in question "and Lady Katherine Pierce"

Elijah cocks his head to the side "I do not care for that name. It is far too common" he says bluntly

Anger flashes through Katherine's eyes "I will have you know that I am named after my great grandmother Lady Katerina of Bulgaria who with her husband was among one of the first to arrive on the land of The Mystic Kingdom and I am very proud of it!"

He smiles "my apologies _Katerina"_

XXX

"Well hello there darling" the king's childish brother leers at Caroline from within her betrothed's chambers.

"I- I-" the princess stutters for a moment, thrown off by the presence of this man who she has barely spoken to "I am here to see the king"

Kol regards her with an amused look "what a sight this is" he smirks "I am certain my brother would be happy to hear you call him that. Though I would imagine the man you truly regard, as king is not very-" he pauses, smiling "reachable at the moment"

Caroline scoffs, because is it not just like a member of this family to try and hit her where they know it will hurt, to try and throw her off, to keep her down or try and make her admit to treason of thought. She is unsure which is this Kol's end goal, but either way he is not to be trusted. No Mikaelson is to be trusted. "You think so little of me" she says slowly "a king is by definition a man who is married to a queen-"

"I believe it is the other way around my lady" he cuts her off

"Not in this kingdom" Caroline fixes the man with a strong gaze "the man who I marry will have control of this kingdom, will pass his name to the sons that will one day also be king. Your brother is that man and so he is who I think of as king."

Kol laughs, clapping his hands together slowly, sarcastically "very good princess. I do believe you have passed the test"

Caroline rolls her eyes, unimpressed with the prince "whatever, just let your brother know I want to talk to him"

"Oh a feisty little thing. I knew I would enjoy having you around from the second you waltzed into that throne room-"

"Oh go back to chasing your kitchen wenches Kol" an annoyed and deep voice sounds from behind the prince

"Your grace" Caroline recognizes the king's entrance to the room, bowing her head slightly out of both habit and propriety. She may hate him but in front of other people she must still appear to be a respectful wife.

"Caroline" he smiles, denying her the right of a proper greeting in accordance to her title, she would be insulted if he looked at all like he meant to offend her, but he does not. He looks merely like a man who wanted desperately, more than anything, to say her name and so she grants him the courtesy of a small smile.

"May we talk in private, my lord?" Caroline asks, casting a glance to Kol who lays strewn across a reading chair beside the fireplace

Klaus nods, turning towards the younger man "leave us brother"

Kol scowls, clearly not happy with being banished from the room "you know, I remember a time when you used to fun, Nik" he gets up to leave, waiting until he reaches the door to turn around again "oh wait… no, that must have been Rebekah. I do not believe you were ever any fun" Caroline laughs a little, despite herself- because is it not a ridiculous thought?- Klaus, having fun? It does seem impossible.

"Leave" Klaus growls and before Caroline can blink an eye the boy is causing havoc on another floor of the castle. "What did you want to talk about?"

Caroline fidgets a little, unsure how to begin- how exactly do you begin to tell a man that you barged into his chamber to tell him… to tell him what exactly? It dawns on her that she does not actually know her main purpose in coming here. What does she want to say? "I- I just thought we should talk about what happened the other day"

Klaus tenses for a fraction of a second- not long enough for a human to notice- before waving his hand in dismissal "oh that, do not let it weigh on your mind. So we had a little spat, I'm over it already"

Caroline scoffs, placing a hand on her hip "wow, seriously? Because from where I was standing I am the one who needs to get over it, you are the one in the wrong"

Klaus' face hardens and he reaches for a goblet that lays abandoned on a nearby table, taking a long drink he turns back to face the princess "then perhaps you should move to where I stand" he all but snarls, and is about to open his mouth to tell the girl that where he stands, he is king and everyone, everywhere has to be sorry for any small act that may dissatisfy him! But then he looks at her and the words melt off of his tongue. He cannot say that to her. Anyone else yes, but not her.

"Transparent" she smiles a little, bitterly "that is what your actions are, just a pathetic attempt to hide what we both already know"

He looks up, eyes meeting hers and holding her gaze for several intense seconds, both of them trying to rip their eyes away, to lie to the blood pumping organ in their chest that is trying desperately to drag them to one another, pulling like magnets.

Klaus gives in to the pull, moving slowly towards Caroline, who- despite every thought in her head screaming at her to do the opposite- does not move. She stands completely still as he moves to within a few inches of her, reaching up boldly but gently to push a stray curl back into her intricate braid.

The king drinks in every second of intimacy he can get with her, eyes surveying every inch of beautiful, porcelain skin that is presented to his hungry gaze. He smiles softly, moving the hand sitting in her hair slowly down to caress her cheek "why would I attempt to hide something that we both know to be true"

Caroline's breath catches in her throat at his confession. She may have thought it to be true, but everything is so much easier with plausible deniability.

"Please, don't" she says, looking down to break the contact- physical and magnetic-"it is not right" Caroline braces for anger, but is instead presented with disappointment

"What?" he asks in utter disbelief "a man showing affection for the woman who is to be his wife? On the contrary love, nothing could be more right"

The princess takes a step back, freezing her heart to any warm words the monster may say to her. What does it matter if now he has decided to develop some sort of twisted feelings for her, he killed her father. He stole her throne. She owes him nothing but the loyalty she promised. He may have her support, but he does not have her heart. Nor will he ever.

"I would remind your highness that ours is a business arrangement"

Klaus smirks, loving the torn look in her eyes, loving that he knows exactly what she is thinking, what she is feeling. He may be transparent, but she is tempted. Tempted by him, and he will see her give in "and I would remind you, princess that all marriages are business arrangements. At least ours was made on our own terms and not those of our parents"

"I suppose that would be difficult considering you killed my parents"

He is surprised for a moment that she needed to say it out loud. They both know the thoughts that are swirling through her pretty little mind, he knows that she is replaying every horrible thing that he has ever done in an attempt to ignore the draw she feels towards him. No matter how much she denies it, Klaus knows that she must feel it. It is simply not possible for feelings this strong to be one sided. So he smiles and leans forward, brushing the tips of his fingers up and down the naked skin of her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps as he goes "and which thought frightens you more Caroline? The fact that I did those horrible things, or the fact that for a moment, you nearly forgot"

"You think you are so clever!" she snaps, angered by his the audacity of this man, to assume that his charms are working. She is not some common street girl who will fall at his feet because he is handsome and speaks pretty words "but no matter how clever you are, I am more clever. Far too clever to ever let myself be seduced by the likes of you!"

The insult hits him hard, with the force of a physical blow and Klaus can feel himself take a step backward as his jaw tightens "we shall see"

Caroline pounces on his moment of weakness, going in for the kill

"I will never, _ever_ love you" she grits out between your teeth

The king looks her over, smiling to himself as he sits down

"Forever is an awfully long time sweetheart"

 **Reviews are bae 3**


	8. The Poetry of Why

I am back! I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! See you at the bottom!

Chapter 8

The population of the castle has grown exponentially in the past two days- between the few dignitaries who arrived early and the near doubling of staff that is currently working to clean every single inch of the large brick building- Bonnie barely recognizes a third of the faces she is passing as she moves quickly up the stairs. With the wedding less than a day away there is no part of the castle not buzzing, from the chefs in the kitchen striving to make the perfect feast to the dowager ladies fussing over every detail of the throne room where the ceremony is to be held and courtyard where guests will be received.

Bonnie sighs, twisting the doorknob of the bedroom she stands in front of, which now has to be completely re-setup. The duke and duchess of whatever arrived from who cares too early so they were set in a room meant for the crown prince and princess of some place so now she has to completely remake this room for the royal couple with white sheets instead of black and replace the trinkets with ones from the right country and get new artisanal soaps. The decadence is all very frustrating.

The face that greets her on the other side of the door is not only extremely recognizable but also has her eyes rolling immediately to the back of her head "not now Kol. I do not have time to argue with you."

"Then let's not argue" he smiles, patting the side of the bed that he is not currently strewn across. He raises his eyebrows suggestively and speaks quickly when she crosses the room angrily to dust one of the wardrobe's "alright alright, I get it you are very busy. So let me help"

Bonnie laughs loudly, because really it is a ridiculous thought- Kol doing chores? Kol doing anything that is not annoying her seams impossible

"oh come on, I am not as useless as you think, just tell me what to do!" he says jumping off the bed

"Leave" she bites out "that is what you can do to help. Just leave and let me work in peace. I have enough to do and deal with in the next 24 hours without having you trying to get under my skirts"

Kol winces slightly, as though he has actually been hit but Bonnie does not see it as she resoundly keeps her back to him. Hurt fills the man's eyes for less than a second before that signature smirking grin is back on his annoyingly handsome face and he moves quickly, pulling the duster out of Bonnie's hand. She turns angrily but he just steps onto his tiptoes and cleans the top of the furniture piece that she cannot reach

"It hurts me that you think that is all I want." He says without looking at her "why can we not be friends? Your princess is friends with Elijah."

Bonnie narrows her eyes at him, trying to find his ulterior motive, but there does not appear to be one. He is honestly trying to help her.

"Alright" she concedes quietly "I am going to go replace the soaps in the en suit. Finish what you are doing and then strip the bed" she half expects him to laugh, tell her he was obviously joking and then flash out of the room but he just nods his head and continues on.

Bonnie is unwrapping the third bar when a voice echoes from the room outside "why do you not just use magic for these mundane tasks?"

"shhh!" she says loudly, placing the bar down before running back into the bed chamber "yell that a little louder please, I fear the kitchen staff did not hear you!"

Kol looks surprised by her sudden movement and sharp tone "oh, now I see. You think you will get caught"

"Yes, witchcraft is a crime in case you have forgotten. And unlike you I cannot simply compel anyone who sees me. So, I make the bed by hand" she says, pulling the sheets from her basket

"It's just all so… _tragic"_ he looks at her "You are a powerful witch, you should not be living like a serving wench. You do know there are covens you can join, right?'

Sadness washes over her "yeah I know, but this is my home. I do not want to be powerful. I just want to protect my family"

"Last I checked families do not make you do their wash"

"You know nothing of family!" she turns on him, filled with anger "The Forbes' took me in when my mother abandoned me, brought me to the palace, fed me, clothed me, and yes when the time was right gave me a job- as a maid waiting on a princess. Tell me the last time you heard of an abandoned street orphan serving a queen?"

He moves closer "but you are still _serving_ her" Kol is completely unable to understand Bonnie's loyalty to the Forbes'. If Niklaus told him to make beds for his guests he would find a very creative place to shove the soap and probably never speak to him again. Families do not work for each other.

"Of course you would not understand" she says pulling at the sheets, voice relatively clear of emotion "you and your family do not have to worry about society or propriety or anything else. If you want something you kill whoever you need to take it" he is about to protest but she continues speaking "my family did the best they could by me and I am very happy with my life. I may have brought Queen Elizabeth tea on a few occasions or washed princess Caroline's dresses, but I also ate dinner with them every night, the king taught me how to read, the queen taught me to sew. They were my family."

Kol is stunned, he had no idea. Then again, no one did. It is not exactly something the Forbes family advertised, the attention would have been bad for Bonnie, she could have ended up criticized "I-" he stumbles overs his words "I am sorry, I should not have said that"

Bonnie quickly fluffs the pillows, ensuring the room is in perfect order "Elizabeth was the closest thing to a mother I ever knew" she picks up her basket "and you ripped her heart out".

Bonnie leaves the room as quickly as she had entered it, leaving Kol standing as a dark black spot in an otherwise pure white room. He frustratedly rolls his eyes at the metaphor of the whole situation and flashes out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

XXX

Caroline looks down at the book in front of her with a pensive brow, unsure how to respond to the border question Elijah just posed. She lets out a heavy breath when she realizes that they both know the answer "it's the wedding" she takes a step back, running a hand over her forehead "the guards got called to the castle because it's a higher risk area but such a big event leaves us too open in case someone tries something"

Elijah nods silently, closing the map book "Have you any reason to believe another country would be angry at the Mystic Kingdom?"

Caroline shakes her head "I cannot think of any reason. The only fear might be rulers who are afraid the overthrow could encourage copy revolutionaries in their own kingdom- but that should be fixed by the wedding. We are doing everything right. The succession is just"

"If that is your instinct then I would suggest we focus our experienced man power here and send the newer ones to the gates. I believe a citizen uproar is far more likely than a foreign attack"

Caroline nods, about to speak when the door loudly crashes open and a voice sounds from behind the bookcases

"Caroline please come for a walk with me before tea. I need some normal conversation about things other than Salvatore broth-" Katherine stops speaking as soon as she comes into view "oh" she pauses "I'm sorry my lord. I thought the princess was alone"

Caroline narrows her eyes as the familiar smile exchanged between the other two people in the room "no apology necessary, always a pleasure to be in your company my lady"'

A small blush forms on Katherine's cheek and Caroline suddenly feels uncomfortable, like she is stuck between two magnets pulling together. She looks up, trying not to get crushed between the poles "um, I'm so sorry Kat but I actually have to meet with his majesty"-the sarcasm in her voice is clear- "to go over details for our dignitary dinner tonight"

Katherine looks disappointed but nods "well that is unfortunate. Alright, I suppose I will just go find Elena" she says dramatically with an overdone sigh

Caroline smirks "Oh no no, you need to get some conversation with someone other than your sister" she looks up at Elijah "I apologize if I am overstepping any boundaries here my lord, but would you perhaps like to escort my friend around the gardens in my absence?"

No one in the room misses the small quirk of the usually ever-composed Elijah's lips "of course princess. It would be my honor"

Elijah offers his arm to Katherine and she accepts with a flirtatious smile.

XXX

Caroline pulls out the chair behind the desk with the closed book and sits with her head in her hands. She hears the door click as her friends leave the room- friend. It seams like a strange word to describe one of the Mikaelson's, but she has to admit to finding a strange type of comfort in Elijah. He represents all of the chivalrous protocol that she grew up with, ever since this new family has invaded her home it is as though everything turned upside down- but there is comfort in tradition. She would not send Katherine off with him if she did not trust him.

Caroline looks down at the leather bound book, hoping she made the right decision. That is what ruling is really all about as she has discovered. Just going with your gut and then biting your nails hoping you made the right decision. Before she can mull over the order a soft sound echoes through the library and she looks up

"Come in" she says to whoever is on the other side of the door

A small creak sounds and a tiny girl carrying a giant golden box with a navy ribbon tied around it steps into the room

"Hello, come on in" Caroline smiles and the girl approaches, setting the box carefully on the desk

"A gift from the King your grace" she curtsy's

Caroline fights the urge to roll her eyes at the extravagant gift- because seriously? Just give up already- "thank you" she says politely "what is your name? You look very familiar"

"I am Annabel your highness, I-um, my mother and I are employed by the Pierce's but are working here to help with wedding preparations" the girl- Annabel- shuffles uncomfortably

"Ah yes, of course. Pearl's daughter. You were there when-" she trails off, looking down and then back up "thank you Annabel" she says, the meaning clear. _Thank you for your silence._

"You may call me Anna"

"Well then thank you Anna. For everything" the girls curtsy's yet again before excusing herself to go help in the courtyard.

Caroline takes a deep breath, pulling on the silk ribbon of the box. She pulls the lid off slowly as if the contents might jump out and attack her. But they do not. Instead it is her heart that jumps, momentarily at the beautiful sight in front of her. A midnight blue lace gown. The word gown seams like an understatement, it is a masterpiece; beautiful tiny diamonds are woven between intricate folds of lace at the top before flowing out into a lush silk skirt. An awed breath escapes her lips before she can stop it. She hates how much she loves his gift.

XXX

"But how did you manage to hide her for an entire week without even your sister knowing?" Elijah laughs a little after hearing about how Katherine was the one who helped Caroline survive his brother's murderous rampage. His brother's and his he reminds himself bitterly.

Katherine smirks a little; looking up seductively "you may be charming, but a girl has to have a few secrets" she crosses her arms delicately behind her back and sets off a few paces in front of him "it keeps the intrigue"

Elijah follows her quickly, reaching out to grab her hand "I promise you do not need any secrets to intrigue me, my lady"

She smiles brilliantly up at him, brown eyes pulling him closer "even so, I am not going to tell you." She looks away "I fear for Caroline. She may need my help again some day"

Elijah nods solemnly "you do realize what you are saying could warrant charges for intent of treason to the king"

Katherine stops walking, looking bravely at the man in front of her "my lord, I would think by now you would know that I do not care"

"You are a good friend Katerina"

"To a select few" she says lowering herself onto a bench beside one of the rose bushes

Elijah sits beside her, remaining quiet for a moment as he leans down to pick a blossom from the bush. He leans forward slowly, tucking the red flower behind her ear "I fear it may get you in trouble some day" he says without moving his hand from her cheek

Katherine exhales a small laugh, leaning in closer- her lips only a breath away from his- "I am fairly used to being in trouble"

XXX

Caroline lets out a nervous breath as she looks in the mirror. The dress is perfect in every way, it is more beautiful than anything she has ever worn- and that is really saying something when it comes from a princess. She fastens a sapphire pendant around her neck and turns around.

"You look absolutely ravishing my dear" her breath catches in surprise at the presence of Klaus in her dressing chamber, leaning casually against the wall as though he belongs there. It almost scares her how well he seams to fit into her world.

"I-" she is about to give him a snappy retort, but instead she grants him the smallest hint of a smile "thank you," she whispers "for the dress"

He breaks into a grin at her small, reluctant show of appreciation. Perhaps she is melting faster than he planned "do you know when I had the dressmaker begin work on this?" he asks, pulling himself from the wall to move closer to her

"When?" she asks curiously, her voice cracking a little at his close proximity

He looks down and raises a hand to gently feel the lace of her sleeve "the second I left the throne room after we first met" Klaus looks up, catching her eyes with his own as he continues to trail his fingers up and down her arm "I saw you and I thought- there is not a dress in the kingdom that could do justice to a woman that beautiful"

Caroline rolls her eyes, trying to hide the furious blush in her cheeks, but he continues speaking "and then I saw this hanging on the mannequin when she finished it and I thought it was perfect, but even the richest silk just looks like rags when you compare it to my queen" his hand stops its movement and Caroline stops breathing, lost in his words- lost in his eyes. No one has ever said things like this to her, when you grow up beside Katherine and Elena it is easy to be overlooked- even if you are royalty. He sounds entirely genuine and it throws her off guard. Klaus smiles just a little, leaning in closer and the movement shocks Caroline out of her trance.

She moves her head to the side, taking a step back "are you finished?"

"Not even close" his mouth quirks up into a little smirk at the innuendo

Caroline shakes her head "we are going to be late for dinner"

"People will wait" he says self assuredly "after all, it is our country and we are the guests of honour"

"Your modesty is astounding" she scoffs

"Just one more thing and we can go, humor me love" he grins

"Fine"

Before she can blink he has dropped to his knee in front of her and she is staring at him in confusion "the dress is beautiful" he begins "but I think something very important is missing" he pulls a small box out of his suit pocket and pops the top off of it.

Tears fill Caroline's eyes the second she sees the tiny object in his hand. A graceful silver band with a brilliantly sparkling diamond in the center, anchored in place between two perfect sapphires. She does not cry because the ring is so beautiful- which it is- but because she recognizes it. It is her mother's ring. Her grandmother's ring. Her great-great grandmother's ring. It is the ring that was offered to the first Forbes queen as a gift on the eve of her wedding. It has been in her family for generations. As a little girl she dreamed about wearing this ring, and she was convinced it had been lost along with her old life, but here it is. Right in front of her "I- How did you? This is-"

"I know what this ring symbolizes. I took it on that night because I wanted a reminder of all I had conquered" Caroline's face closes, thinking that he has conquered her "but now that I have had the privilege of having you in my life it seams to represent irony. The irony that on the exact night I thought I was getting everything I ever wanted, I did the one thing that would stop me from truly getting what I need. I need you Caroline" he says reaching for her hand "and I want to give you this ring and have it represent something else. I know that I am not the man you want to be marrying tomorrow, and I know that I cannot promise I will never lose my temper again or even that I will be a good partner for you, but I want you to wear this ring everyday and when I look at it I will remember that I need you- for so many reasons. And when you look at it I want you to think of every person you have ever loved- and I truly hope that one day I will become one of them instead of just the man who took them from you."

Caroline blinks twice in shock, unsure whether she should yell at him for his audacity or fall into his arms. The choice is not really hers, it apparently belongs to her body which decides that the best reaction is simply to do what she has become very good at. She cries, and honestly- she isn't really sure why.

Well there you have it- I hope you guys don't think Klaus' confession was too OOC or came out of no where- the way I see it he was fairly open with his intentions in the show right from the beginning so I don't see why this should be any different. It doesn't mean he won't still mess up from time to time. Klaus is his own worst enemy sometimes, look at this chapter and the next as the calm before a storm that I've cooked up, one I hope you'll enjoy ;)

Reviews are life, love, and inspiration!


	9. Vignettes

HEY HEY! I am so sorry, I know I"m the worst, this took so friggen long! University has really been kikcing my butt this year (what else is new) and it's just been a crazy month! Anyway, this chapter is admittedly not my best, but think of it as the calm before the storm, because I am really excited for the next chapter! I really just want to better set up some of the relationships I have started to develop, that is the purpose of this fillerish chapter, but I hope you still enjoy it!

CHAPTER 9:

Enduring a six course meal with a table full of nobility is a taxing experience- one wrong word or action could start a war or ruin a trade agreement- doing it with Klaus beside her as the highest authority in their country and knowing his explosive personality and tendency to say whatever offensive thing comes to mind is worrisome. Sitting through a nobility dinner with an explosive man who also just made a grand speech and gesture of emotion to her is near impossible. Caroline is so distracted thinking about her relationship that she almost misses a compliment from the eleven year old Swedish Princess about her dress (and ignoring a king's child is just about the easiest way to anger them).

She smiles radiantly "Oh, Thank you Elsa- it was an early wedding gift from Niklaus"

The beautiful, innocent young girl turns to her mother and beams "do you think Prince Lucas will ever give me anything that beautiful when we get married"

"I am sure he will" Klaus jumps in immediately, shocking Caroline with his tender smile "It is instinctive for men to give beautiful things to beautiful women, and you look just like your mother so I am sure you will receive so many gorgeous things that you will not know what to do with them all"

The girl smiles and so does Caroline, impressed by his political networking and touched by his simple speech.

Caroline relaxes for a moment, untensing her shoulders and reaches for her wine glass.

"Careful love, that one is mine" Klaus says quietly and she realizes that in her haze of thoughts she had not been paying attention and reached for the wrong goblet. She is surprised he said anything to be honest, why not just wait until she has already drank it and make one of his crude comments. Perhaps there was truth in what he said earlier. Maybe he really is trying to be a gentleman… a man she could perhaps, maybe some day, consider not just her husband but her partner. The princess nods silently with a small smile and reaches for her own cup.

Klaus lets out a breath; he was almost caught. What if he had not stopped her and she had drank from his cup? How would he have explained the sharp metallic taste of blood mixed with the bitter-sweet wine. This near miss fills his head with questions- how much longer can he keep his families secret? How will she react? Should he tell her? Will it make her trust him or just make her more afraid and feel betrayed? He clenches his jaw, frustrated.

Klaus has never felt like more of an idiot. Here he is down on his knees in front of a girl he barely knows, making grand promises and romantic gestures in a desperate hope that she will let him in. That she will let him make her not only a queen, but _his_ queen. His radiant, powerful, beautiful, strong queen. He did all of this and exposed himself, _weakened himself_ without even having her know this fundamental thing which could destroy everything.

In the midst of his pondering Klaus realizes he has been completely ignoring their guests. He realizes this when a small, soft, warm hand wraps around his. His eyes shoot down to the point of electric connection before looking up to meet concerned pools of endless blue. His mouth quirks up involuntarily and he sighs, realizing that he would do it again. All of it, he would get down on his knees in front of her a thousand times if it would put her body closer to his. If he could occupy even a tiny crevice of the giant heart that beats beneath her perfect porcelain skin.

Klaus shakes his head "sorry sweetheart" and then he is right back into the depths of the conversation, completely, ecstatically aware of the fact that her hand remains resting softly in his.

XXX

"How did you manage to get yourself out of that awful dinner your highness?" Katherine walks confidently up to Elijah who currently looks very engrossed in a hard cover book- that is one of the things she likes about him, he is always trying to learn something new- conversation is never boring.

He smiles, immediately looking up from his novel to the beautiful girl in front of him- the girl who has managed to captivate him entirely in only a matter of days. He returns her cheeky grin and laughs a little "I did the very mature and responsible thing- I hid from my brother"

Katherine gasps dramatically "the noble Elijah rejecting his duty- I must be corrupting you!" she smirks playfully

"It is hardly a corruption. Have you never hidden from an annoying sibling, Katerina?"

She smiles genuinely, still loving the pet name, and nods "I have" the flirtatious grin returns "then again, hiding from _my_ brother is not an act of treason"

Elijah laughs "well, since I am risking a beheading right now I believe the least you can do is allow me to escort you to our own dinner"

"Far be it from me to say no to royalty, but I actually did not come in here looking for you" she pauses, lowering her voice "I am trying to hide from my sister so going down to the dining room is probably not the best course of action"

Obviously the first thing Elijah wants to do is ask why she is avoiding her twin, but he can sense that she does not want to discuss it, so instead he simply closes his book, stands up and offers his arm "I do not recall saying anything about the dining room"

Katherine narrows her eyes and tilts her head "but you said-"

"I know what I said" he smiles "I am going to escort you to dinner, but need I remind you that being a prince can certainly have its benefits"

Katherine is curious, but of course she wraps her hand around his bicep- what else is there to do when a handsome prince offers you his arm?

XXX

Bonnie kicks her shoes off and throws herself onto the bed in exhaustion. The wedding has been so difficult to plan and get ready for. Everything has to be washed and polished; every dignitary has to be waited on in excess. She is so tired that she is seriously considering skipping dinner and just falling asleep right now, because honestly the draw of seeing the twins and filling her stomach is just not powerful enough to drag her out of her bed. Which is why she makes an annoyed grunt when she hears a knock on the door. What more could there possibly be for her to do?

"Come in" she calls, sitting up straight

Her eyes roll nearly to the back of her head when she hears a familiar low whistle after the door opens "well this has got to be the nicest quarters a maid has ever been given in the history of The Mystic Kingdom"

She looks up, glaring tired daggers into his head "I told you, the Forbes' are my family. I do not live with the servants"

Kol nods "I know you said that. And I believe you."

"Great, I'm so thrilled now can you please let me get some rest"

He smirks, pulling a basket from behind his back "bed without dinner? Have you been naughty?" Kol asks with a wiggle of his eyebrows

Bonnie perks up a little at the sight of food; the offering almost makes her ignore his typical lewd comment. Almost. She shakes her head and scoffs

"Oh come on, I won't bite" he laughs and she continues to glare, unimpressed wit the joke "I just want to talk" he says with a shrug

"Fine" she says, getting up to move to the small sitting area on the other side of the room "but only because you have food"

Kol smiles, stepping into the room and sitting across from Bonnie. He lifts the basket onto the table and starts pulling things out- very sad things. 2 sandwiches that are really just chunks of meat shoved onto pieces of bread, a few whole fruits cut into crude chunks with seeds still in, and a couple hunks of orange and white cheese.

Bonnie cannot help but laugh at what he has apparently managed to scrape together "I would think a crown prince could get himself a little bit of a higher quality meal"

Kol looks down at the spread, worrying his bottom lip "I wanted to do it myself"

She is struck for whatever reason by his statement. Maybe, she realizes, it is not the words he is saying, but the way he looks. The intent behind his action, all of it reminds her of that boy she met in the woods. The boy she thought he was before everything changed.

She smiles shyly, ripping off a piece of white cheese "thank you" she says lifting it to her mouth.

XXX

Katherine exhales heavily in amazement, looking up at the beautiful blanket of stars above her, wondering in a slow circle around the wooden surface overlooking the small manmade lake

"Worth the walk?" Elijah asks, admiring her wonder-filled face with the same appreciation that she views the stars

She smiles, turning back to him "I was not kidding when I said I am not much of a forest girl, but I must admit this view is stunning" the two sit on a small wooden bench overlooking the water "though I never would have forgiven you if I had torn this dress on those sticks"

"Well then I am very glad the garment is in tact"

"How did you find this place?" she asks looking around the tranquil space- a simple but beautiful wooden platform with a bench and grand arches, all right on the edge of a hidden, sparkling lake- absolutely beautiful with the moonlight glistening and stars bouncing.

"I did not find it; I built it" Katherine's head snaps from the water back to his face, the unspoken question on her lips "After my mother's death it was imperative that my family and I go into hiding. We lived in these woods for dec-" he clears his throat to cover his near slip up "several years in a small house about a quarter mile out from here and as I am sure you can imagine, living with NIklaus is not always easy. I built this to have a place to come and clear my head"

Katherine's face changes from impressed to annoyed in a matter of sentences "perhaps you should share this space with Caroline instead of me." She bristles "she is the one who needs to get away from Klaus"

"I believe your friend can handle herself" Elijah says, "I have worked very closely with her in discussing the future of this country and she is an impressive woman. If the princess can handle major military decisions I think she can handle the king"

Katherine thinks for a moment that perhaps she should be jealous of how highly Elijah is speaking of her friend, but then she remembers that she is Katherine Pierce and she is not jealous of anyone. Not even a queen. "I admire how invested you are in the welfare of the nation" she says instead

"Invest in people and you invest in yourself", he says catching her eyes "I choose to spend my time with those who are worthy of it, and I believe that this country is worthy"

Katherine smiles a little, still slightly upset merely by the mention of Klaus, instead of dwelling she chooses to change the subject "as beautiful as all this is, I do believe I was promised dinner"

Elijah stands up, offering his hand "well that will require about a half a mile more of walking"

Katherine sighs but accepts his hand.

XXX

Klaus had insisted on walking Caroline back to her room and she could not exactly refuse in the presence of foreign royalty. So now they walk quietly through the halls of the castle. "You did well tonight." Caroline looks down, letting out a slow breath as she gives him the credit he deserves "thank you"

"You sound surprised sweetheart, is it really so hard to believe that I have a side to me that is not violent or revenge driven" Klaus keeps his eyes focused solely on Caroline, watching her swallow hard and nod tightly

"No. I suppose not", she says quietly, lifting her skirt to begin up the stairs "considering I have seen it." Their gazes connect for a moment "I know that you can be that man; it is just…" she trails off.

Klaus knows in an instant where her mind is- where it always is, focused on everyone else. She is not worried about him exploding his violent temper on her; she is worried about the people. "You do not think I should be king" it is a statement, not a question.

"No" she says without hesitation, continuing quickly when she sees his jaw tighten "but to be fair I do not believe that any man who has sat on the throne has deserved it. My own father included"

"You believe there should be only Queens," he laughs, believing he knows exactly what the little princess was thinking.

"No" she says quietly, surprising him "I simply believe that any man who w _ants_ to be a king will not be a good one"

Klaus cocks his head to the side, confused by her statement "so you think we should tie a man up and force him to be king?"

Caroline laughs "no of course not" she nearly trips over the top stair because of her laughter "I just mean that when a man craves such a high position of power it says something about his character. He craves authority, supremacy, prestige, and strength over everything else. He wants the people to respect him instead of respecting the people. He looks for his own needs instead of the needs of the country-" she pauses abruptly, her mouth getting ahead of her mind. She cannot say these things to him, she was just getting to a point where they may have been able to have a peaceful business marriage like so many other royals, but if the tightening of his jaw and anger in his eyes is anything to go by, he is very unimpressed with her opinions.

"It has been a lovely evening Caroline, but I think this is where we part", he says, dropping her arm and turning towards his own quarters

"You know what your problem is," Caroline shouts after him, watching him stop but not turn around "you do not care about anyone or anything except yourself. You can get down on your knee with all the heirloom jewelry and epic confessions that you want but it does not mean a thing until you change how you act. So go ahead, walk away and prove to me once and for all that you are nothing but an immature child who cannot handle the truth and that you do not even want to try to understand me or anyone else-" Caroline is cut off when Klaus moves at what seams like an impossibly fast pace and fixes one hand to either side of her face, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone as he crashes his lips into hers.

The kiss is all encompassing; everything she had been saying flies out of her head at the pure intensity of his lips on hers. His mouth molds into hers and there is no fight for dominance. She sighs her body into his and he presses her gently but somehow aggressively against the wall as he claims her marks her, tries to make her see what he feels.

It is seconds, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades to soon when Klaus forces himself to pull his mouth away from hers. His right hand remains securely on her waist and his left keeps her face cupped in his hand. He looks briefly down at her lips, still swollen from his kiss. Klaus wishes he could keep her lips like this forever, keep her whole body in a constant state of showing that she belongs to him and he belongs to her. His eyes tear away from her lips and he fixes his eyes on hers, two oceans of blue meeting in a stream of magnetic connection "thank you for your honesty" he whispers

Well? What did you think? Please let me know because I"m really nervous- I know it's not my best. Reviews inspire me so much, without you guys I never would have founf the motivation to finish this chapter amongst everything else in life! So please, let me know what you think :D


	10. Forever Hold Your Peace

Chapter 10

Katherine sits bolt upright on the feather soft mattress the second she feels the tiniest hint of the sun's ray. "Shit!" she cusses under her breath, taking stock of where she is. Asleep, on a bed, in a cabin, in the forest and not her room back at the castle. She is so screwed. She bolts out of the bed, exiting the room in record time, almost at the door when a voice stops her

"Why the hurry?" Elijah smiles at her from the little kitchen where he stands poised with an iron pot and a handful of eggs

"I-it's-we stayed out all night! My sister is going to realize I was not in my bed and then she will tell my father and I will be shipped off to France or Austria as punishment and oh my god the wedding is today! I need to be there for Caroline! What am I going to-"

"Katerina!" Elijah says loudly "Katerina clam down, dawn has barely broken! No one will be up in the castle for hours. Not even the bride" he smiles

"Oh" she says, turning her head for the first time to look out the window and see that indeed, there is barely any light.

"We have plenty of time to indulge ourselves in a proper breakfast and then sneak back into the castle through the servant's entrance" he says cracking the first egg open

Katherine nods, not truly as worried about getting caught as she is about not being there to comfort Caroline should she need her. Katherine has definitely been caught with her share of men, but father also said that the next time would be her last, so who knows if he was serious or not. Katherine smirks, sliding into a chair _I guess we shall see_ " I am certainly not going to say no to a handsome man who wants to cook for me"

"Well I did not poison you last night so I would agree that you have nothing to fear" they both laugh, recalling her upturned sneer when they had first arrived last night and he had pulled out a plump duck and some raw potatoes. Can you blame her for not trusting though? Men hunt the food, they do not cook it. And at her status even the women do not cook it!

"Why is there so much food here?" She asks, "is it not deserted since your family- relocated"

He nods, placing two eggs on one plate and three on the other "I keep it stocked. Like I said last night, I like to come here and think. And it can oft get too late to make the journey back to the castle" Lies. Every word is a lie. He does come here to think but he could be back at the castle in seconds even in the blackest night. He does not need food, but he keeps it there because here in the place he can pretend to be human. He can pretend that everything in his life is normal. A stocked pantry feels like home. Barren cupboards just seem too metaphorically empty for his taste.

"As we saw last night" she says, indicating that she is still wearing her dress

"I cannot believe you slept in that- it must have been dreadfully uncomfortable

"Not really" she shrugs "every morning when the maid tells me to suck in I simply push out- that way when I release to normal I can barely feel the corset"

Elijah laughs "you seem to have an answer for everything" he says placing the plates in front of them.

"I have a trick for everything." She corrects with a smirk "I have spent seventeen years figuring out how to live exactly the way I want without getting in trouble… well, too much trouble" she smirks at him a little more "besides" she continues "sleeping in my dress is certainly more appropriate than sleeping unclothed with a man in the next room" she mock gasps "my poor, weak sensibilities certainly could not have handled that" she lifts her hand dramatically to her forehead as though fake swooning before digging into her eggs

"I would not have looked," he says, seaming a little offended at her implication

Katherine looks up at him with a smile "I know" she says calmly, honestly- her voice sounds almost off when filled with such a genuine tone- no sarcasm or mocking bite hidden behind her words "you are the perfect gentleman and always have been. Everyone you have met seems agreed on that matter. Of the two of us I am certainly the one with the untoward reputation- if anything you should be worried about me taking advantage of you" the last sentence returns the Katherine he loves- cheeky and confident.

He grins lazily "much like you- I believe I can handle myself"

XXX

Caroline would like to say that she wakes to the faint rap of knuckles on the door, but one cannot wake unless they first fall asleep-which she did not. How could she? In just a few short hours she will no longer be Caroline Forbes. She will belong to someone else. She will become the most powerful woman in the country and at the same time lose all power to control her own destiny.

"Come in" she calls and Anna enters the room with a tray

"I come bearing your breakfast breakfast- something special from his majesty I am told" the girl smiles, probably caught up in the 'romance' of it all Caroline thinks and so she smiles back. No need to destroy the girl's view of love. It could some day exist for her. She is not a princess.

"Thank you Annabele, you can just set it on this table" she indicates the small wooden bedside bureau.

She nods and does as she is told, "I have also been instructed to inform you that you have a half hour before someone will be sent to draw your bath and while you clean your preparation team will set up in your outer chamber"

Caroline nods, grimacing a little at the words _preparation team._ Why did she decide to turn this into such a large affair? She should have simply done it quickly in a dress she already owns with just the Gilbert's, the Mikaelson's and a priest present. "Thank you" she says politely.

"You are welcome. I must return to the kitchen now- there is much still to be done"

Caroline nods "I am sure"

"It is going to be spectacular" the girls says wistfully before excusing herself.

 _Spectacular-_ the word bounces around in Caroline's head, a spectacle it is sure to be. Everything is going to be perfect- her wedding is going to be everything she ever dreamt it to be, right down to the white and pink roses. The thought should be comforting. She should be happy that her dream wedding is coming to life, cling to the plans as a part of her childhood- but she is not comforted. She feels cold and distant as she moves through the morning. She does not touch her breakfast tray, not really wanting to know what is under it and knowing she cannot keep food down. She moves like a robot into her bath, lets herself be cleaned, slips into her silk robe and stands in front of a team of people she has never met who are supposed to make her beautiful.

Somewhere inside of her the old Caroline is absolutely beaming at the pampering and attention, loving the luxury. But the new Caroline just feels numb. She lets the servant's paint, curl, and exfoliate every inch of her, turning like a doll for them to makeover.

"You look stunning your highness" one of them comments once they finish and she turns to the mirror. She looks exactly how she feels- porcelain.

"All that is left is the dress. You have some special helpers coming to do that for you though so we will slip out and let you prepare for the happiest moment of your life" the woman who is clearly in charge says with a calculated tone. _She knows._ Caroline thinks- she knows that this is not what the princess wants. She seems to be the only one though so Caroline lets herself relax.

XXX

"I just saw one of the lovely members of your bride's preparation team- she tells me you are the luckiest man in the world" Kol leers pulling himself away from the mirror in the sitting room to fling Klaus' bedroom door open. The words in of themself are innocent enough, but his expression is not. Everything with him has an innuendo.

"Oh go back to staring at yourself" Klaus growls, fixing his cufflinks.

"hmm, I would much rather stare at Caroline- perhaps we can share once you get your fill of her" he smirks, trying to rile his brother up.

"Say another word and I will tear out your liver" Klaus drops the sleeve to grip Kol's throat and push him up against the wall, effectively cracking the wood

"ooo touchy" Kol says holding his hands up in surrender and Klaus drops him to the ground "careful Nik" he says righting himself and brushing the dirt from his pristine black garments "I might start to think I was right about you caring for her"

Klaus makes a low, frustrated sound under his breath "do you honestly not have anything better to do Kol?"

"On the day of your wedding? Where else would I be but with my beloved brother" he raises his eyebrows in a snarky challenge

Klaus growls "I cannot believe I let this girl plan such an affair. I should have just dragged her to the nearest priest and been done with it-"

"That would not be smart for many reasons NIklaus" Elijah's voice cuts in as he materializes almost as if out of thin air to stand in front of his brothers "A wedding is the best way to secure foreign relations- nobles feel honored to be invited, not to mention adding something to the happiness of your wife"

"I care not for her happiness" Klaus scoffs, and there is so much venom in his voice that even he almost believes it.

Kol nods with a smirk, rolling his eyes at the overcompensation of his brother's attitude. At least he seems to be fooling himself. Elijah on the other hand is not impressed. He fixes his brother with a steely gaze "and I am sure that your happiness is not at the top of her priority list either considering you murdered her father, so maybe just for this one day you could consider treating her like human being instead of a bargaining chip"

Klaus straightens his shoulders and looks at his brother "oh but Elijah, that is all she is. Why treat the girl like something she is not" Truth be told Klaus is not sure why he is so adamant his brothers not know his feelings for Caroline. Perhaps it is because they already think he cares for her. He cannot be seen as caring by his enemies because it makes him weak. But Kol and Elijah are not his enemy's, are they?

"Consider my refrain from commenting your wedding gift Nik" Kol chortles from the corner, Elijah looks decidedly less amused

"She is a remarkable woman NIklaus. The way you treat her is unfair, I understand that compassions and selflessness are not traits you possess but the least you could do is show some respect for them in others" his words are tight and angry

"Oh do not tell me you are in love with the girl too" Kol rolls his eyes

"I am not in love with her!" both Elijah and Klaus say in unison

"Romantic affections are not required to believe the girl should be treated like a person and not another pawn in our brother's game"

Klaus smirks "I treat her exactly like a person. A disposable little human. Now if you will excuse me, I do believe I am about to be married" Klaus exits the room, leaving two disgruntled brothers behind him and sighs against the outer frame of the door. He has made so many mistakes concerning Caroline. He cannot have his brothers know his affections, it would not end well because… well, because… it just wouldn't!

XXX

Bonnie, Elena, and Katherine burst into the room in a fit of forced laughter and smiles as they carefully hang a large garment bag on the closet door

"Oh you must be so excited Caroline!" Elena screeches "you have wanted to be Queen since we were children! Everything is falling into place"

Bonnie rolls her eyes but remains silent while Katherine scoffs loudly "oh cut the act Elena. We get it, you want everyone to be happy and you are trying to make everything positive and sunshine rainbows, but it is not, ok! This sucks! It sucks that Caroline has to marry this monster"

"Sorry for trying to cheer her up" the brunette grumbles

Katherine rolls her eyes and reaches into her larger than usual silk pouch "I have a better way to cheer everyone up" she smirks producing a large bottle of red wine

Caroline gasps "Kat I cannot be drunk on my wedding day!"

Katherine rolls her eyes "Caroline there are four of us and one bottle of wine. Even you will not be drunk form that. Just take the edge off a little. Let loose."

Caroline smiles and grabs the bottle from Katherine who in turn pulls out a metal cork screw and the two girls pop the bottle open and each take a long swig before passing it to Bonnie followed by Elena (each of them take a modest sip and Katherine once again rolls her eyes)

"Alright, now lets deal with the most important part of today. That gorgeous dress" Elena says with a huge grin

Caroline smiles weakly as she watches her friend get up and unzip the garment bag. She has seen the dress before, she went to fittings, but now complete and hanging there in front of her she almost cannot believe how beautiful it is. She reaches a hand gently forward to feel the soft white satin, running her hand along the pure woven gold of the trimming and veil. In that moment of awe Caroline makes a decision- a decision to enjoy what she can of this day. She has dreamed of her wedding since before she could walk and this is going to be her dream wedding. Just not her dream husband, but to be honest, the husband is really just an accessory of the celebration. Today is all about her wedding- tomorrow she can worry about her marriage

"It is stunning" Bonnie says to break the silence

Caroline surprises everyone by smiling like her old self "of course it is- we designed it" everyone looks at her puzzled "do you not remember the sketches when we were fourteen? I gave them to the dressmaker and she just… _matured_ them"

The girls giggle-except Katherine- seemingly placated by Caroline's new attitude "well what are we waiting for?" Elena squeals lunging for the gown; but she is cut off by a faint knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Bonnie calls out

"Klaus" comes the deep; gravely voice from the other side of the door "I need to speak with the princess"

"No! That's bad luck!" Elena says, sounding thoroughly scandalized

Katherine shrugs "so is murdering the bride's father"

" _Katherine!"_ Caroline scolds with a pointed glare before moving to open the door. She gives Klaus a hesitant smile and steps outside, closing the door tightly behind her to ensure they are not overheard

Caroline takes a deep breath, intent on keeping her positive attitude "what can I help you with your grace?"

Klaus cocks his head to the side, confused by her formality and… pleasant disposition "I-" he stutters for a moment, very unusual for him "you look beautiful" he says, getting distracted by the sight of her in nothing but the thin, white silk robe.

Caroline wraps her arms around herself, a shy blush creeping into her cheeks "uh, thank you… is that all?"

Klaus shakes his head, seemingly angered "no"- dammit no! That is not what he came here to say. His lip tenses in anger. He came to tell her to be ready exactly on time and that he did not want to have to deal with her misbehaving tonight. He came to make sure she acted the perfect Queen in front of their foreign visitor's. He came to push her away, to make what he told his brothers true, but then he saw her, and every rational thought in his head seemed to die. Every cell in his body fells alive with the vision of her. Klaus wants to be mad at Caroline, he wants to hate her for making him feel like this, but instead he just exhales an amused breath, laughing at the irony of his own weakness. "I just wanted to make sure all of the preparations are to your liking" he pauses, looking up at her "my Queen"

The second Klaus' eyes meet hers Caroline looks away, not comfortable with the title, with the intimate way he caresses the words, speaking as though she is a part of him. Then again, is that not precisely what she is about to become? She considers giving him a snappy response _wedding of my dreams-except the husband of course_ flits through her mind but she realizes- it could be a lot worse. She could actually be marrying that horrible man she believed Klaus to be the first time she met him. At least he appears to have some sort of affection for her. It may take time, but… perhaps this marriage would not be so bad. Caroline smiles softly at him "it is everything I have dreamed of"

Klaus' face softens at the wonder in her eyes, his body nearly melting, and he hates it. The grand contradiction of Klaus' life- hating the weakness but loving the girl. "I am glad" he says casually "I will see you soon then"

"I shall be the one in white", she says quietly, the two sharing an electric moment of eye contact before turning from each other and going opposite directions.

XXX

"You can do this" Elena whispers supportively, giving Caroline a quick kiss on the cheek before placing the lace veil over her face.

"Thank you" Caroline smiles at the three girls in front of her, her best friends "now go, find the Salvatore's and take your seats. I believe the ceremony is starting soon" she jokes

The three girls smile and say a few last words before scurrying down the hall. Caroline takes a deep breath and allows herself a moment of preparation before she feels another body standing only feet away from her

"Are you ready?" Elijah asks with a sympathetic gaze. It had been decided in advance that since her father is not able to give her away and she is marrying the 'father of the kingdom' it only made sense that Elijah be the one to give her away. Caroline agreed because at least Elijah is a friend, at least she knows he cares for her in some small way. She would have preferred Stefan, but given the history between him and Klaus that did not seem a wise suggestion.

Caroline lifts her head and squares her shoulders "Yes. I believe I am" and so the princess places her arm in the Prince's and takes the first step towards her new life.

XXX

The entire room falls silent the moment Caroline walks into the room, not that Klaus is even registering that anyone but the absolute vision walking towards him even exists on the planet. She is an angel in white and gold, floating towards him. The king's dead heart pulls in his chest in ways he did not think it capable. He feels… _alive._

The moment seems to stretch on for hours and yet only last a second. He is not sure how it is possible, but he watches as if in a daze while Elijah lifts the veil from her perfect face, feels her blue eyes connect with his, watches her red lips softly kiss his brother's cheek and steps forward to fix his hand protectively around her slim waist as he leads her up to the alter.

The priest says a few words that neither Klaus or Caroline register, both too lost in their own thoughts to truly be paying attention.

But then, in an instant the luxury of ignorance is ripped away from them by the reaction to a line that neither had even heard

 _If any has a reason why these 2 should not be joined, speak now or forever hold your peace._

Everything happens so quickly, as if in a blur. Gunshots are heard outside and everyone's heads whip to the east wall. Klaus lunges to protect Caroline and the room erupts into panic. Screams are heard echoing from the hallways and what appears to be an army bursts violently through the closed doors of the grand hall.

Caroline looks up to see at least a hundred soldiers standing right in front of her and then hears a voice that she has not heard in over a year "nobody move. There is no reason why this needs to turn violent"

Klaus resists the urge to lunge at the dark haired man stepping out of the fold of what appears, based on their uniforms, to be English soldiers. Everyone is silent; making the Princess' loud gasp even more audible. "Tyler" Klaus hears her whisper in shock

"I merely have an objection to this union"

:O :O little cliffhanger there ;) want the next chapter quickly? nothing motivates like a nice lil review. Hope you like it!


	11. Not a Princess

***Hides in the corner because this took 8 years* I'm sorry hope you enjoy it anyway!**

Chapter 11:

The entire world freezes in that moment. Caroline is entirely certain that everything stops and she can hear her own heart beating inside her chest. In this moment of absolute stillness and silence she takes stock of exactly what is happening. The most prominent thought in her head is that Klaus is practically on top of her, wrapping his arms protectively around her in an attempt to shield her from the gunshots, which have now stopped. The priest hides beneath the alter and she is receiving horrified looks from everyone in the room. Some of the most important people in the world are in this room. And they could be in danger- because of her.

Tyler stands confidently in the middle of the aisle she had just walked down, his men are not shooting but they have also not lowered their weapons. Caroline swallows past the lump in her throat and the world returns to a normal speed.

A growl rips through Klaus' throat and as soon as he is fairly certain Caroline is in no immediate danger he fixes his hand tightly around her waist and brings them both to a standing position. He pushes her securely behind him and shares a look with Elijah that would normally have the other Mikaelson rushing to his side, but he is also protecting someone and he refuses to bring this intruders attention towards Katerina so he remains completely still.

Klaus and Tyler stand deadlocked in some sort of wolf-like staring contest for dominance. The first voice that speaks is definitely not one that anybody in the room is expecting

"Oh come on Lockwood!" Damon Salvatore's indignant voice shouts from the second row as the man stands up, flinging his arms out in disbelief "a little dramatic don't you think? Yeah you and Blondie had a thing- get over it, newsflash- she's not that great."

The prince's head snaps toward the audience at an almost terrifying speed "This does not concern you Mr. Salvatore" he growls "I would suggest you stop overestimating your importance and take a seat"

Damon is about to respond, but Klaus beats him to it "I take it I am the one to whom you wish to speak? Considering it is my marriage you appear so vehemently opposed to"

Tyler cocks his head to the side and smirks "actually I could really not care less what happens to you. I am here for Caroline. My fiancé." Klaus hides his shock at the man's admission so as not to lose face "you are merely in my way" he speaks with all the over estimated self assurance of a young man with too much power.

Klaus laughs out loud at the impetuous prince "interesting that I was about to marry your fiancé and yet I still have no idea who you are. Clearly you did not leave much of an impression mate" he sneers

Tyler takes a few long steps forward, catching Caroline's eye as she looks out from behind Klaus' shoulder "Care, It's okay." He lowers his voice "you no longer have to go through with this. Come with me."

"I think her choice is clear" Klaus shouts, losing his temper at the other man's audacity "If the princess was in need of saving I am sure she could have come up with a better Calvary than you and this sorry lot-"

"HOW DARE YOU!" one of the men in armor shouts, "You speak to the crown prince of England. Show some respect king slayer!"

Klaus is filled with a white-hot rage, but Elijah's eyes nearly pop out of his head. ENGLAND?! They pissed off the future king of one of the most important countries in the world?! Caroline told him she saw no reason that another country would be mad at the Mystic Kingdom, how could she have overlooked this small fact. His shock and anger must be evident because he feels a soft hand wrap itself comfortingly around his and Katherine responds as though he had asked the question aloud

"She did not deceive you. Caroline has a nasty habit of underestimating herself. She did not think Prince Lockwood cared enough to risk starting a war. I should have seen this coming though. I visited her in England, the prince was mad for her. He is immature though so we all thought it might dissipate, but apparently not"

"Wonderful" Elijah deadpans

"Tyler" Caroline surprises everyone by speaking in a strong voice to break up the fight between the two men "tell your men to put their weapons down" he is clearly about to protest, but the princess gives him no room to speak "I am truly sorry honored guests. Please forgive us all, I promise this issue will be resolved without the need for bloodshed. Everyone keep your seat. Prince Tyler, King Niklaus, both of you come with me please." And with that Caroline turns around and exits the room, leaving the stunned men trailing after her.

XXX

"I have to go with her, she needs my help!" Bonnie exclaims when Kol grips her arm to pull her back "those two are going to tear her apart!"

"No they are not. Trust me darling" Kol says looking after the trio who are exiting the hall

"How do you know that! They are like children with a toy! They are going to pull on her arms until she breaks!" Bonnie whispers harshly to him

Kol cocks his head, looking sadly down at her "has my past deceit really made you so bitter that you do not see what is happening? I understand that I made mistakes but really Bonnie, I thought we were making progress"

She looks up at him, confused "what? This has nothing to do with us, I-"

"It has everything to do with us!" he fixes his arms around her waist and pulls to make her meet his gaze "only someone completely blind or horribly bitter could not see what this is. Caroline is not in danger because both of those men are completely, hopelessly in love with her. This is not a power play anymore. At least not one where either of those two idiots in crowns have the power. They love her."

Bonnie's features fold into such an intense look of shock that both Katherine and Elijah notice from three rows back and move quickly to be by their side. Quickly enough to make Katherine narrow her eyes at the man gripping her waist.

"What is wrong?" Elijah asks swiftly

Kol scoffs "nothing scandalous brother- just acquainting our young magical friend with the concept of love"

Katherine narrows her eyes yet again "He knows?" she asks Bonnie incredulously- she tells so few people about her magic, why a Mikaelson?"

"Um yea" Bonnie covers quickly "he found me _that night_ using magic to help Caroline escape"

Katherine nods, trying to keep up "ok fine, but what does love have to do with any of this?"

"You know it is funny" Kol breaks in, addressing Elijah "there is this prevailing idea in society that women's weak sensibilities make them fall so deeply in love with us men who are unemotional and unaffected. Literature constantly tells the tale of their heartache and unrequited love. Yet, it would appear to me that in almost every case I have seen, it is powerful men who fall hopelessly in love with women who refuse to acknowledge their affection." He turns now to Bonnie and Katherine "my brothers would never say this, but I am going to because I am so damn tired of having to act like I do not get hurt. Of having to act like a man. I love you Bonnie Bennet. I love you and Elijah loves Katherine, and Tyler and Niklaus both love Caroline, and everyone under the blasted sun for some reason loves Elena. We are all hopelessly in love and throwing ourselves at your feet and nothing." His voice is raising steadily and the room begins to grow uncomfortable "that is it. I give up. I give up trying to make women happy! Lord knows I have no idea how to do it." Then Kol exits the room in such a tantrum and at such a great speed that Elijah's heart lifts into his throat even more- but no one seems to notice. They are all too wrapped up in the women's reactions.

Bonnie and Katherine watch Kol leave, unsure if they should laugh or cry or run into the arms of these men.

"Well I think we can all agree that this is just awkward" a well known voice sounds from the crowd

"Shut up Damon" at least half a dozen voices echo in unison

XXX

Klaus fumes at being made to wait outside of the room while Caroline 'speaks to Tyler'. What could she have to say to him? Klaus knows exactly what to say to the imp- and it requires no words, just a sword.

The second Caroline enters the chamber off the great hall she whips around to face the man in front of her "WHAT THE HELL TYLER!" She screams "You cannot just slaughter your way into other people's kingdoms with a shipload of men because you do not approve of a wedding ceremony, I cannot believe I ever-"

"I would never slaughter your people, my princess." He cuts her off quickly, raising his hands to grip her shoulders. "My men pushed our way in with no casualties, I promise. The border was unguarded and palace security was distracted by a mole I have had planted here since I first heard of your parents death. I know about your deal Caroline and you do not have to go through with it" he moves even closer to her, running his hands comfortingly up and down her arms "I have a big enough army waiting with me to take down the Mikaelsons. Let me protect you"

"I do not need to be protected" Caroline says fiercely, knowing that no army is a match for the devil she has made a deal with. "After my parents death I did what I had to do. I made do without you then and I will now." Caroline looks down sadly, the magical summer she shared with Tyler flashing through her mind. It seems so innocent and childish now, so beautiful- like a dream. It appears that she has woken up and he is still asleep. She speaks quietly "I am no longer the girl you met last summer, your grace"

He looks at her with an expression of utter confusion "Care what are you talking about? Of course you are- look I wish I could have gotten here sooner but the timing was wrong. I waited, I planned, I made sure your people did not suffer; I kept gunshots to a minimum. I love you Caroline. You cannot tell me that you actually want to marry this, this monster"

Caroline shakes her head "of course not!" she yells out in frustration, tears threatening to spill over her eyes "I do not want to marry anyone right now. I do not want to run a kingdom. I do not want to eat or get dressed in the morning. I want to sit in my bed all day and be allowed to mourn my parents, but- and I know this is a new concept to you- sometimes we do not get what we want!" tears from all the emotions she has been holding back for weeks start to spill down her cheeks as Caroline tries her best to push a man she once loved away. "I cannot love you the way I once did my prince. I fear I am to broken to ever love again"

Tyler's arms wrap protectively around Caroline and she is ashamed to admit that it sends her flashbacks of how Klaus held her earlier in the great hall. They stand wrapped in each other's arms for several minuets, Caroline weeping inconsolably into his chest as the Prince's hand runs gently through her hair.

Tyler begins to speak quietly, whispering in her ear "I do not care if you are broken. I do not care if you cannot love me. I love you, I will always love you. Come back to England with me- forget the Mikaelsons if that is what you want, just let me take care of you. Let me help you."

Caroline tenses at his words. These words that she would have given anything to hear only a matter of weeks ago. These words that should make her happy, relived. She knows how this fairytale is supposed to end. The princess is suppose to shout for joy at being saved from the evil beast and ride off into the sunset on the handsome Prince's white horse into the sunset of her perfect happily ever after. There is just one problem- Caroline Forbes is not a princess. She is a Queen.

Caroline lets out a breath and steps slowly forward, raising her hand to cup Tyler's cheek she smiles sadly at him "thank you, Tyler. Thank you for loving me enough to try and save me. Truly, I will treasure your love until the day I die. I will live every day wishing that you were the man I married, but right now" she fights back the tears "right now I need to be a Queen and not a Princess. I need to put my people and my kingdom first. The Mikaelson's are dangerous- more dangerous than you could ever know. I will not go back on my word to Niklaus. I pray that you understand"

"No" is Ty;er's immediate response "how could I possibly understand. If they are dangerous how could you want to stay with them! I will provide for your people- once we are married, everything-"

"You are not listening to me Tyler" Caroline says with more force, pushing him away is too painful. Letting him go is too painful. At least if he is angry at her he will not hurt "I have made my decision. So either start a war or get your army out of my kigdom"

Prince Lockwood nods his head tightly "as you wish princess" he bites out, turning angrily to storm out of the room. Caroline releases a tense breath only to take it right back in seconds later when he turns around steps away from the door, a softer expression on his face "I know what you are doing Care. I know you. You are sacrificing yourself for everyone else and I want you to know that me leaving is not me giving up. You may not want my help now, but you will one day. Just-" he closes his eyes and takes a breath "just promise me that you will send word to England when this king slayer inevitably pushes you to the edge. Promise that if you will not let me save you from this fall you will at least let me pick up the pieces after he breaks you."

His words are passive aggressive and filled with the anger of a man whose heart is breaking. Caroline wants to snap and tell him he is overstepping. Tell him she knows the decision she is making and that she will live- or die- with it. She wants to tell him to leave and never contact her again. Then she realizes that she used to be in love with this man. She realizes that he honestly thinks he is offering her everything. Caroline smiles faintly at him "I promise, my prince".

He nods tensely, clearly fighting back emotion as he says one final statement "I will always love my princess of gold" and completes the final steps that take him out of the door and out of her life. She should have finished his statement, told him that the chestnut prince would always be in her heart, but that would give him hope. And hope is a dangerous thing.

Caroline takes only a second to run a hand under her eyes and clear the tears before she says quietly, just above a whisper "you can come in Klaus".

He should not hear her. A human could not hear her. They both know that. Klaus straightens his back, hides the shock on his face and enters the room quietly. He raises his chin to look Caroline directly in the eye and she meets his gaze. "You know" it is not a question.

Caroline nods slowly, eyes remaining as strong as ever "I know a lot of things you do not think I know"

"How long have you known?" he asks in disbelief "How do you know?"

"I do not make deals I cannot keep. Which means that I do not make a deal unless I know what I am getting myself into. Let us leave it at that. I do believe there are many people waiting for us."

Caroline walks directly past a baffled Klaus on her way back to the hall. He turns slowly to follow her.

 **BETCHA DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE COMING HUH! I'm so excited, I've had that scene planned for a whil, so if you liked reading it as much as I loved writing it, drop a review, let a sista know how you liked it. THANKS!**


	12. Till Death Do Us Part

**WOW, you know who's the worst? ME. Sorry, university is kicking my butt as usual but the glimmer of a crossover possibility reinvigorated me to finally finish this chapter so please enjoy!**

CHAPTER 12

Caroline Forbes' wedding night is not what most would expect. Instead of tentative kisses followed by roaming hands and eventual joining of bodies, she and her new husband sit tensely in her bedchamber, in separate red plush chairs beside the fireplace. She has not removed her wedding dress, but his jacket lays forgotten by the door and a glass of brown liquid rests tightly in his hand.

"I think the reception went well", Caroline says professionally, as though speaking in a strategy meeting "a rocky start but we had everyone convinced and happy by the end of the night. Be sure to thank Elijah for suggesting we bring out the stronger liquor. Generosity and foggy heads are the only way any noble needs to remember this day"

Klaus looks up from the flames for the first time since they entered the room, he takes a long sip from his glass goblet and pins Caroline with his eye "how did you know?" his voice is rough and impatient

Caroline scoffs "how stupid do you think I am?"

"I never said you were stupid"

"You did actually." She challenges him "the third time we met you told me that angering you made me a very stupid girl, that refusing to obey you made me a very stupid girl."

Klaus curses under his breath "can we please skip the dramatics? This is not exactly how I pictured my wedding night so why do you not just catch me up and we can both go to bed"

Caroline shakes her head "Are all vampires so arrogant? Is that what taking human life does to you? I can assure you we are both disappointed in our wedding nights." Klaus fixes her with a steely gaze and she continues in a slightly more cooperative fashion "my parents did not know in case you are wondering." She turns her head to tell the story to the fire, not wanting to look her _husband_ in the eye. "Bonnie is like a sister to me, but she is also a witch. As such she has _feelings_ that are not easily ignored. I knew the Salvatore brothers my entire life and so did she, then all of a sudden war breaks out in Italy and Damon is on the front lines. I was sure he had died in battle, but imagine my surprise when, as I am spending days at the English court, he and Stefan arrive together to seek alliance."

"Why are you telling me of the Salvatore brothers?" Klaus interrupts impatiently "I care not for the politics of their country. Get to the point, Caroline"

"I am" she turns her head to nail him with an unimpressed stare "honestly you would think being as old as you are would have taught you some patience-"

"Careful sweetheart" he says and she knows he is serious, knows he is growing tired of the game. She can always tell with him because he will use those pet names. She is certain it is how he detaches himself from victims, by denying them a name, refusing to see them as anything but food. When he is angry he calls her love or sweetheart, when he is speaking to her genuinely he uses her name or title. It is how she separates the man from the monster. How she knows which one she is speaking to.

Caroline sighs "do you remember the battle at Sicily last winter?"

Klaus nods "England arrived with reinforcements and Italy was victorious. It started a very lucrative alliance"

"Why would England help Italy though?" she says with a raised eyebrow "think about it? It turned out well in the end, but England never gets involved in wars that are not their own or for territory." Klaus cocks his head and his mind is clearly buzzing with the realization that she is right. "Well Stefan told me one night that he thought England agreed to help because I asked Prince Tyler to help my friends. He convinced me that is was a tactic of the prince to win my affections" Klaus growls "and I thought nothing of it, I was naïve and wanted to believe myself as important as he was telling me I was. I wanted to believe that the prince put his country on the line for me."

"you liked the idea that he was so in love" Klaus muses

"No" Caroline says carefully "I believe I liked the power. I had never tasted any before then. The feeling is intoxicating and blinding. I wanted to believe I had that power, so I did. I assumed Englad aided Italy because of me, until many months later when the brothers arrived in Mystic Falls. Damon kissed Bonnie's hand and she nearly fainted. When she woke she said he felt like death"

"So you do know about the Salvatore brothers", he says unfazed

"I found out their secret only after Bonnie reached out to her grams. To all the spirits of the Bennet line actually. They provided her with knowledge and gifts to protect humans from these new creatures. She is my sister, she tells me everything." Caroline shrugs her shoulders "I knew if the supernatural, and I knew when four people took down my entire castle of guards that they were not human."

Klaus shakes his head in disbelief "how did the Salvatore's change? They are too young yet to sense others of their kind so I did not risk exposing myself to ask, but I must know"

"A serving woman in their home fell hopelessly in love with Damon. Mary, I believe her name was. When she found out he was being sent to battle she made him a special tea and had him promise to drink it every morning." Caroline smiles a little "and believe it or not, Damon used to be a very kind person. He drank the tea- which was laced with her blood and he was murdered in battle. He did not stay dead for long, I suppose you have figured out that Mary was a vampire"

"One of Kol's many dalliances across the globe no doubt. My brother will be the death of me"

"Well his _dalliance_ ended well for me. I did not lose my best friend in the gruesome manner that destiny intended. After Damon turned, Stefan shortly contracted consumption but of course Damon refused to lose his brother, and the rest, I suppose is history. Not a history that anyone will know, but history no less."

"Your best friend is a vampire and you accept that?" Klaus asks in shock

"My best friend is a man. He is a boy that I have known since I was a little girl and he does not harm people. Stefan feeds on animals and Damon ensures that nobody he feeds from suffers or loses their life… most of the time." She sighs "it is not ideal but I value loyalty. What would it say about me if I abandoned them?"

He grimaces slightly at her answer "did you love the English boy because you believed he saved your friends?" Klaus asks abruptly, clearly unconcerned with subtlety

"No" Caroline says with a wistful smile and pained eyes "I may have fallen for Tyler because he saved my friends, because of that intoxicatingly powerful feeling that single action gave me; but I loved him because… it was natural. I was a princess and he was a prince, he said all the right things, did all the right things, he is handsome and brave and I would have no reason not to love him. So I believed I did. Everyone was so happy when I was in love with him, and… I think I may have mistook the satisfaction I got from making others happy for the feelings that I had for Tyler. I overlooked all of his faults, his betrayals, his indiscretions because he loved me. Everything was ok and certain in life as long as we loved each other."she pauses for a long moment and neither of them speak. Caroline lets out a heavy breath and turns to meet Klaus' eyes "though in the past months I have come to realize- I am not certain I know what love is. Truly, I am not certain that I believe in love anymore."

Klaus smirks "I must say I feel honored, love" she tilts her head in question "to have such a great impact on you. Here I thought you were immune to my threats but you merely replaced fear with doubt"

Caroline glowers at him "you give yourself too much credit"

"Well you certainly would not give me any"

The princess cannot help smiling a little "so…. What happens now?" she asks in a slightly shaky voice "are you going to kill me?"

"Why would I do that?" Klaus asks, honestly confused

"Has that not been the plan all along" it is not a question "you marry the princess for legitimization of power and then discard her"

Klaus pauses, looking over the beautiful woman in front of him- pale features illuminated by the light of fire, he is unsure how to handle this seemingly defeated version of his Caroline "I am not going to kill you" he says "why did you agree to our deal if you thought that?"

"I was convinced I could influence Elijah enough to ensure the people are cared for, and if I could not, Damon promised to gather every vampire he could find as well as Prince Tyler's army and avenge my death by claiming the throne for England"

Klaus blinks, looking her over again, seeing how wrong he was in viewing her as defeated. Her The fire is not burning her, she is causing it to burn. Her eyes are not defeated, they are determined. She is not weak. She is brave. She would go gladly to her own grave for the good of her people. It is a strange thought, but Klaus thinks, passingly, that perhaps she has even more power than he does. She does not fear death, what can be taken from one who does not fear the loss of their own life? In that instant Klaus feels for Caroline Forbes something he never thought he would feel for another person. He is not lusting after her, he is not frustrated, amused, intrigued, challenged, enamored or any other insignificant word he has in the past thought to describe his feelings for his bride. In that instant, Caroline Forbes earns his _respect._

"you are safe, my queen"

XXX

The grand ball room is a decidedly less calm place. Kol spent most of the party moping and Elena spent it fuming. The bride and groom have been gone for long enough that the nobles are beginning to dissipate and it is quickly becoming more and more awkward as only the small group of lovers at odds are left.

"Bonnie I am not some foreign noble you can liquor up and lie to! I saw what happened in there. I saw Elijah move, I saw Klaus' eyes change. I saw everything!" Elena shrieks the second the door is closed after the last guest leaves. The room is tense and quiet, no one moving as Bonnie tries to lie to the twins.

"Calm down Elena" Katherine says in a coolly detached voice and Bonnie looks at her in shock. Is she only trying to lie to one twin? "Oh do not look so surprised Miss Bennett, I found out about all of this days after Stefan and Damon changed. That stable boy who works with Matt- Trevor, he has very big ears and an even larger mouth"

"Yeah and I am sure you used your own big mouth to get his to open" Damon comments lewdly

"Hold your tongue Mr. Salvatore" Elijah's deep voice threatens, and then he turns and speaks in a softer tone to Katherine "you have known about my family this entire time, Katerina"

"You don't think I would throw my best friend to the wolves- pardon the pun- without knowing what she was going to be subjected to do you? We discussed it at length before we finalized our plan" Katherine speaks as though it is the most mundane, boring topic in the world.

"What did you throw our best friend into Katherine" Elena grits out between her teeth

"Nothing worse than what you voluntarily _throw_ yourself into every day dear sister" Katherine says with a nasty grin

"I do not know what you are talking about!" Elena says with indignation

"Your boyfriends are vampires darling" Kol drawls impatiently, speaking as though Elena is the dumbest woman on the face of the earth… which Katherine sees as completely fair.

"They- they" Elena stutters "you are what?!" she flips to face Damon and Stefan cringes a little that it is not him she looks to "I do not understand"

"Oh bloody hell" Rebekah sighs, adding to the conversation for the first time all day "you really are stupider than you look- and that is saying something. It has been a long day and I would rather not play 'spell everything out for Elena' yet again. Plus Nik had a 'no eating the guests' rule so I am positively starving. Care to join me for a bite Stefan? It does not look as though you are needed here either" she grins flirtatiously and bitingly at the same time.

Stefan cannot tear his betrayed face from Elena. The look she gave Damon was enough to speak a thousand words she did not need to say. "I think you are right my lady" Stefan says sullenly, turning to Rebekah "make it a forest trip and I will join you"

"Fantastic" Rebekah grins, grabbing a full bottle of scotch from the table beside her "I think we shall be needing this" she says before seductively swinging her hips as she leads Stefan out of the room

"I think I will be needing two just for myself" he comments before they close the door behind themselves.

As soon as the door closes behind them Kol turns back to the group of six and rubs his hands together "well then, I guess it is just the couples"

"We are not a couple" Bonnie and Elena say in unison

"Ouch" Damon rolls his eyes sarcastically

"Well it would appear we are the only two free of emotional issues at the moment" Katherine says to Elijah "perhaps we should leave our siblings to deal with these delicate matters in private" she feigns propriety, truly just looking for an excuse to leave the room. To be alone with Elijah.

"I could not have said it better myself" he acquiesces, gallantly offering her an arm "though we do have some things to… discuss" Elijah says with a sideways glance. Katherine nods and the two exit the room faster than anyone can process.

"And then there were four" Kol mutters with only half of his usual cheeky tone

"Did you know as well Bonnie?" Elena asks in a small, sad voice

Bonnie looks up at her, regret in her eyes, unsure what to say "I-we- I was trying to protect you Elena. When it comes to all of this the less you now the better"

"I DO NOT NEED TO BE PROTECTED" she loses her calm, something Lady Elena Gilbert simply does not do. Every eye in the room widens at her outburst. "I can take care of myself thank you very much"

"Yeah right" Kol says under his breath, receiving an elbow to the ribs from Bonnie

"oh I love it when you get rough darling"

"Wait, Bonnie, are you- are you one of them too?" Elena says thoroughly ignoring Damon

"No" she smiles "why don't you let me walk you back to your chambers and I can show you a happier side to all of this. You might find some of it quite… _magical."_

Elena looks around the room "I am still mad at you" she says with a pursed lip "but right now I think I am the least mad at you so I am inclined to accept"

"Elena-" Damon reaches for her

"Don't" she turns and glares at him with a strength that would make even Caroline jealous.

"Please, let me explain, I-" he tries to speak but Elena is already halfway across the room.

"Just, give her some time Damon. It is not as though you have a shortage of it" Bonnie advises quickly before running after her friend.

XXX

"Um" Caroline stands awkwardly between the door of her sitting room and bedroom "could you-" she blushes and refuses to make eye contact, "I hate to ask but the maids are all in bed and I-" laughing nervously she blurts out "could you help me with the buttons" she references the long line of large round pearls running from the back of her neck to just below her tailbone, holding the delicate silk of the gown together.

Klaus smirks, stepping forward "with pleasure" he whispers moving his fingers to the top button, undoing them slowly as he deliberately slides his fingers across the growing expanse of smooth skin being shown to him. Caroline will refuse to admit it in the morning, but she can feel the bottom half of her body start to sigh into his as he works calmly, every part of her skin that he touches feels alive, until he reaches her mid back and the corset and underclothes block direct contact.

He finishes quickly and the dress falls in a whisper of fabric from her body. Caroline is far from unclothed in the corset and slip she wore beneath, but it is more than he has ever seen of her- and he appreciates the view. Klaus is unsure what comes over him but in that instant his hand snakes around her waist and he turns her quickly to face him.

Caroline looks up, breathless, unsure what to say. They stand, silently gazing at each other for a few moments, Klaus' hands wander around the skin that is exposed along her neck and arms before moving up to cup her face in his hands. He tilts forward ever so slightly to rest his forehead against hers "you make me mad Caroline Forbes" he whispers quietly.

The moment is broken by some invisible force that neither can quite identify and Klaus clears his throat awkwardly, moving his hand off her skin like it is made of vervain "Well if there is nothing else you need I suppose I will go back to my own chambers"

"Thank you" Caroline says quietly, and they both know why. They both know what they should be doing tonight, what he could be forcing her to do tonight

Klaus clasps his hands behind his back, pursing his lips and nodding "I have done a lot of horrible things in my life sweetheart, but forcing what you are thinking has never particularly struck my fancy"

Caroline smiles softly at him "It's funny" she says, meeting his gaze again "I think the old Caroline would have really fallen for you. She was easily charmed by handsome men and pretty words"

Klaus smirks "Now where would the fun be in that"

 **Hope you enjoyed, drop me a review if you did, they inspire me to write faster! Also let me know if you have hope for this crossover or think it's just going to be more bullshit!**


	13. Fear of Hope

Enjoy my loves ;)

CHAPTER 13

"Hurry up with those lemon cakes Annabelle!" the head of royal service (and her mother) yells through the kitchens "the majesty's and their guests are finishing their meals. Dessert and special wine must go out now!"

"Yes Ma'am" Anna nods her head putting the finishing touches on the dessert platters "may I serve the final course again tonight m'lady?" she asks quietly, head bent awaiting a reply. Truthfully she just wants to see how they are sitting. The castle has been relatively quiet for the last three weeks since the marriage of the new King and Queen. Nobles from surrounding areas trickle in and out bearing gifts, peasants seek audience over disputes, and the Mikaelson-Forbes-Salvatore-Bennett-Pierce affairs only grow more and more complicated by the day. The only source of entertainment for the staff has been the constant circling of table spots, the constant changing of relationships. The two constants of course being the King and Queen and Lord Elijah and Lady Katherine; but the salvatores, Elena, Rebekah, Kol, and Ms. Bennett appear to be engaged in some bizarre game of musical chairs- or hearts, as it were.

"Very well, go on my girl just do it quickly"

Anna smiles and exits with a tray in each hand towards the staircase that leads to the royal dining hall.

XXX

"I thought they made up" Stefan inquires quietly from his spot beside Caroline, nodding his head towards Bonnie who sits with Elena at the far corner of the long table, away from Kol and Damon

"They have" Caroline responds quietly, stabbing a piece of cheese from an abandoned platter with her fork "it's a show- Elena is still angry with Damon so Bonnie is pretending she is still mad at Kol to show solidarity. Watch their eyes" she pauses for a moment and sure enough Kol and Bonnie share a small, discrete smile.

"You truly do know everything" he laughs lightly

Rebekah scoffs indignantly from her seat next to Stefan, her angry eyes meeting her brother's (who also looks none to pleased with the lighthearted conversation between the 2 old friends). "Oh yes she knows everything about banal gossip"

Caroline smiles "jealousy does not look good on you Lady Rebekah"

Klaus laughs next to her and she turns her head quickly "that sentiment applies to you as well, my King"

Niklaus smirks in his charming way, placing his goblet back on the table "I did not say a word"

"mmhhmm" Caroline grins, raising her eyebrows in a manner far too lighthearted and… _adorable_ for some of the more cynical members of the table to handle.

"No of course he didn't say anything" Damon rolls his eyes, pushing his plate away "Because you two are just the perfect couple, huh?"

"Shut up Damon" Katherine barks "just because you cannot manage to keep a woman happy does not mean everyone is so pathetic"

"no, you are so right Kat. I'm the bad guy here" he holds his hands up in mock defense "Look at me, I am clearly the worst man at this table. I lied to the woman I love. Unforgivable. Murdering her entire family and forcing her to marry me, totally would have been completely forgivable, but not lying! I mean there has to be a line drawn somewhere, right?"

"he makes a point" Kol smirks

"ignore them" Caroline whispers to Klaus, wrapping her soft hand around his tense one and just when no one in the room is certain what Klaus' next move will be the door swings open and two servant girls carrying platters of wine and dessert enter the room

"Finally, something stronger than a merlot" Damon grins, looking at one of the girls "come here, _love"_ he motions to the girl carrying the wine, mocking the Mikaelson's terms of endearment.

"What you want is in the gold wine glasses Damon. No need to be savage about it" Rebekah sneers

"Oh it's never as good if it is not fresh"

"You disgust me" Caroline spits

"Careful there judgy. A touch hypocritical to condemn one monster and sleep with another"

Klaus' jaw clenches, his fist slams on the table and he is up in less than a millisecond, sword drawn and pointed across the table at Damon's throat

The servants jump to the edges of the room but all the guests at the table merely sigh and sink back into their seats- every night it appears there is a fight between different members of this table. Damon stands slowly, hands in his pockets and stares at the King

"I would draw my sword but we both know this battle will not be fought with steal"

"it will not be fought at all" Elijah speaks for the first time "Nikalaus both violence at the dinner table and your outbursts have grown very tired and Mr. Salvatore you are a fool to think for even a second that you could have a hope in all the kingdoms of defeating my brother in a fight"

"Perhaps I don't care about my life" Damon deadpans

"Oh shut up with your moping" Caroline speaks, standing "I agree with Elijah. I have grown very tired of these battles every night. We have 4 dining halls in this castle and if you, my dear friends insist on acting like children then I will separate you like them. Elijah, Katherine, Niklaus, and myself will dine here. Damon, Stefan, Rebekah, and Elena in the west wing. Kol and Bonnie in the east."

"What the bloody hell did I do?" Rebekah shouts indignantly

"Nothing" Caroline responds "tonight. But do not pretend you and Stefan have not been sneaking off and Elena do not pretend you have not noticed and that it does not make you jealous. Damon needs to get over himself and you all need to sort out your romantic lives because you still have a choice in who you are going to marry so do NOT choose wrong!" Caroline lets her friends and family take in the news for a few awkward seconds of silence and then turns to one of the still frightened girls "I believe I shall skip dessert tonight Anabelle. Please inform me if my husband decapitates any of his family or my guests"

The gilr pauses for a moment before remembering herself and bowing quickly "Yes your grace"

XXX

"I promise on my life that is exactly what she said!" Anabelle exclaims excitedly as she retells the story of the Queen's dissipation of guests the prior night to her fellow servants, all of whom are preparing to serve different dining halls for the first time.

"Did King NIklaus really draw his sword?" April asks with widened eyes

Ana nods and all the servants begin fighting over who gets to serve which dining hall when Pearl enters "enough bickering. Anabelle you will serve the great hall, April the west wing and Harper the east hall. Now get to it. More dining rooms means more work. And April- keep the gold wine glasses going to Mr. Salvatore please my dear, for your own good"

"Yes Ma'm"

Dinner Night 1- Queen Caroline, King Niklaus, Lord Elijah, and Lady Katherine in the Grand Dining Hall.

"Good evening your grace" Caroline greets formally

"Caroline" Klaus smiles warmly, lifting her hand gently to his lips before pulling her chair out seamlessly. The Queen nods her thanks, taking her place "Elijah and Lady Katherine will be late this evening, I saw them returning to the stables only moments ago"

Anna enters the room, setting wine goblets down in silence, feeling the tension in the air "the chef is wondering if you would like to wait for Lord Elijah and Lady Katherine before beginning your meal" she says head bent

"Yes" Klaus says immediately "but do not let the wine run out" he pauses, casting a glance at his silent bride "I've a feeling we will need it"

"Of course your grace" she leaves quickly, to find more wine no doubt.

A moment of silence passes before the King sighs "Caroline please you have not spoken to me since last night. What have I done to make you so angry?" Klaus throws his arms out, genuinely confused and slightly agitated.

"Nothing" she says quietly "you have done nothing wrong for weeks now and that frightens me"

"Why do I still frighten you?"

Caroline gives a small, worried smile "because you have changed. I do not fear what you are becoming, I fear that you may return to what you were" she says quietly "I knew what you were when I entered into this arrangement. I knew what I was getting myself into, but now… I do not know how to react to the new version of you and I do not know if I will be able to bear it if you get angry with me and return to your old ways. "I am afraid of hope." Caroline says, turning the full force of her ocean blue eyes to stare straight into his soul It is a dangerous thing for people in our position".

"I could not agree more" Klaus says quietly, falling deeper and deeper into Caroline's eyes, the two sharing a thousand unsaid thoughts in that gaze. Looking into each other, seeing the hope that the other one has of loving and being loved, seeing the danger of that, seeing every way that they could find happiness only to have it torn away from them. Klaus cannot even begin to guess at the number of hours he has lost fearing that love would make him weak, fearing himself incapable of love, knowing himself unworthy of the one he loves.

"Hope is the most dangerous thing in the world. A person can become accustom to many different types of misery but never be quite so destroyed as the moment that they allow themselves to believe their pain may be alleviated. After a person has tasted true happiness there is no worse agony than going back to a life before experiencing that"

"I-" Caroline pauses, feeling a heavy weight in her mind, the weight of knowing both what she wants to say and what she needs to say "I am glad you agree" she says- "my lord" she adds as an afterthought.

"And yet sometimes" he adds quickly "the truest misery is simply to be _alone"_

XXX

"You do not need to walk me to my chambers every night your grace" Caroline says quietly

"I do not mind. It is the only time I get to speak to you alone barring my brother's tardiness."

"Well goodnight your grace" she bows her head curtly

"Must you persist with these ridiculous titles" he growls

Caroline smiles sadly "I do not mean to upset your grace, but it helps me to remember what we are. You said it well at dinner, hope is dangerous"

"When have you ever listened to me, Caroline?" he smirks

She sighs "I am tired your grace, I wish to retire for the evening now, and perhaps in the morning you will decide to join me in using proper titles. Let us not make this any harder than it has to be on ourselves or each other"

"Hope" Klaus plays with the word, tasting it for a moment on his tongue "it is hope that you are afraid of?"

"I suppose" she says tiredly

"I feared hope for many years Caroline, but I think you will find that sometimes, scary as it may be, it is the best option to give yourself over to it"

"If hope was what I had to rely on then perhaps I would be a little more spontaneous, but it is not. I have to rely on a man whose temper tantrums cost villages their entire populations. I suppose I spoke too quickly earlier. I am not afraid of hope, I am afraid of you"

"I think you are lying" the King spits, continuing before Caroline's indignant expression can gain words to back it up "would it not be more accurate to say that you are afraid of yourself?" he runs his fingertips slowly up and down her arms "of all of the things you feel for me that you know you should not" he leans his head forward so they rest cheek to cheek and he whispers in her ear "you know what I am but you want me anyway, don't you _my lady_? You are afraid of the darkest parts of yourself" his hand creeps up to fist itself sensually in her hair "you are afraid of your own _desires"_ he whispers the word slowly into her ear, his breath dancing across her skin as his free hand wraps around her waist

The queen is in shock, she stands still, trembling under his touch, losing herself at his words "K-Klaus" she manages to stutter out "please, P-please don't-"

Klaus' hand tightens on her waist, pulling her small body tightly against hers, he bends his head and captures her mouth with his own. They move in unison for several minuets before he pauses "this is what you fear my Queen. You beg me to stop but that is not what you want" he moves quickly, pinning Caroline's body against the wall, fitting her hips to his and moving ever so slowly. He grins gently, moving a strand of hair from her eyes "do not be afraid. I will not do anything until you tell me too."

Klaus begins to leave the room, but Caroline's hand darts out and grabs his arm "you did not let me finish"

"What?"

"Earlier" her breathing is a little labored "you did not let me finish speaking. You always need to exit the room with some grand speech, you were so caught up in making your point that you did not let me finish"

Klaus smirks "I assure you that was not my intention. I would never abandon a lady who has not finished"

Caroline blushes profusely "good. Because I-I knew what I was saying earlier"

"And what was that?" he presses

"Klaus, Please don't-"  
"yes Caroline, I have heard you reject me many times. Do you gain pleasure from it? Must you really make such a big deal of finishing that sentence?"

"It is pleasure I seek in finishing these words" she says, catching his eyes once again, moving closer so her body presses into his "I believe we were in about this position" her hand moves up to hold his stubbled cheek "and I was going to say 'Klaus, please don't stop'" and for the first time, Caroline leans forward and dominates the king's mouth with her own.

A low, guteral; growl escapes Klaus' throat as her top teeth scrape his bottom lip and she rolls her hips into his "Are you sure?"

Instead of answering, Caroline reaches behind herself and loosens the thin tie on her dressing gown, allowing it to fall lightly to the floor.

Klaus is on her in less than a second, pressing his Queen lightly into the mattress he looks into her eyes and begins to explore every mesmerizing curve of her perfect body.

Never one to be outdone, Caroline begins her own exploration, pulling at Klaus' shirt, which gives way easily. She runs her hands along his smoothly muscled chest, feeling every sculpted inch before fumbling slightly with his belt, her hand brushing against his manhood.

Klaus groans against her mouth "make up your mind now my Queen, because this is the last moment that I will be able to go back"

Caroline's response is simply a quick tug on his pants, causing them to fall to mid thigh. He grins salaciously and works them the rest of the way down his legs. They acquaint each other with their bodies in the fashion that many new loves do, twisting and turning in the sheets, feeling nothing but light fingertips on sensitive skin for what feels like hours until the King can not take it any longer.

Klaus climbs up slightly, bracing himself on either side of his wife he stares down into her eyes, taking the last second of sane thought he will have before exploding into pleasure to once again remove a golden ringlet from her perfect face "I promise to be gentle my love" he leans down to place a soft kiss on her cheek as he slowly eases into her tight, warm body.

The queen smiles, moaning happily as he sinks deeper into her, and then she smirks, reaching up to grasp either side of his face she whispers "Unfortunately, I cannot make the same promise".

Caroline lifts her mouth to meet Klaus', locking their lips and bodies fully together, moving her hands down to grasp his neck as her leg shoots out around his and in an instant she has flipped him beneath her. She breaks the kiss for only a second, just long enough to pull her golden hair from her own face and begin moving slowly on top of his hips, eliciting from him a moan of pleasure so great he was not even previously aware that noise could come from his own throat.

XXX

Sunlight streams in through the tall windows of Caroline's bedchamber and Klaus cannot help but think how poetic it is that the girl who is such a beacon of metaphorical light also seems to attract the physical sun. Her golden hair is shinning brightly, her pale skin illuminated and seeming in some sort of serene way to be even more inviting than the night before- a concept quite staggeringly new to Niklaus Mikaelson. The idea that a woman could be even more beautiful, more vibrant, more alluring _after_ he had enjoyed her.

"I can feel you staring you know" Caroline smiles, opening one eye slowly and then the other

"How could I be expected to resist" he says genuinely "you are perfect"

She blushes, pulling the sheets farther around her as she reaches up to stretch her tight muscles

"Are you sore?" he asks in concern- it had been quite a night, he can imagine their actions leaving some aches behind in a human body

"A little" she admits "but I would not change it" she adds with a smile

"None at all?"

"Not one second" she assures him, leaning forward to plant a smiling kiss on him which he instantly deepens, wrapping his arms around her, grappling to feel every inch of her velvety smooth skin, smiling as the sheet falls between them causing their naked torsos to intertwine once again. They stay like that for several minuets, basking in the glow of physical bliss before Caroline reluctantly pulls away

"You have a small council meeting to attend in less than a quarter hour! We slept the morning away"

"Bugger the small council, bugger every single thing in this world that might try to pull me from this bed right now"

"A king has duties beyond pleasure," Caroline says, pulling the sheet around her as she rises from the bed to dress

"um" Klaus smirks, laying fully exposed on the mattress.

Caroline turns to see what he wants and blushes immediately, turning back around "get dressed" she laughs

"No" he grins "I am a king, perhaps I will go to the council stark naked and then they will know I am crazy and insist I return to this bed"

"You cannot do that to your most faithful. Seeing you like this would surely destroy all of their confidence," she grins flirtatiously, granting him one last kiss

"Stay with me forever" he says abruptly

Caroline's eyes go wide "what?" she asks in a breathy whisper.

"You heard me," he says seriously

"Is it not enough for me to promise you my forever"

"No amount of time with you will ever be enough" he replies simply, as though it is the most obvious thing in the world "I am in love with you Caroline Forbes"

"you do not know me well enough to ask this of me or to say that" Caroline says somberly

"I know you well enough. I cannot think of a single thing I dislike about you Caroline Forbes" he declares

"But you will" she whispers in response "you will think of things. This is not something to rush I am not yet sure what I want from this life. Allow me to figure that out before I make any promises about the next one"

Klaus nods "I understand. This is a big decision" the room falls silent for a moment "at least indulge me on one account"

"What would you like?"

"You have not yet been properly coroneted. I know that it is only a formality but allow me to throw my Queen a proper coronation. You deserve the world but all I have to offer is a single kingdom my princess, allow me to at least wrap it properly"

Caroline smiles warmly "I am sure Rebecca has already designed a dress for the occasion" she pauses for a moment "last night you refuted a fear of mine- that I was afraid of hope"

"yes"

"Well now I would like to refute one of yours- that you cannot give me what we both deserve. You say a single kingdom is all you can offer, but I say that is a lie." Another pause "You and your family joined with the salvatore's would be unstoppable. An army would be a formality, why settle for the Mystic Kingdom" she says staring out the window "when we could have the world".


	14. Life in Gold

**Hi! Yes I am back! Nothing like a mid-summer Klaroline feels attack to get you writing again! I blame the E online poll, anyway, hope you enjoy this next installment of slow burn ;)**

CHAPTER 14

Caroline knows she has changed in the months since her parent's death. She can feel it. She knows that no matter how long she resisted Klaus he was affecting her. The darkest part of him seemed to call to the secret part of her that she had never let anyone see. Caroline had always been a jealous, materialistic, petty little girl, but she had never been mean. She had never been evil. She had always cared about her people. She supposes that is her greatest fear as she considers Klaus' offer. The small taste of the darkness that accompanies what he is, what he wants her to be, has changed her already. She cannot decide if it is for the better though. On one hand her thoughts are bigger now, more ambitious. They hold more hope and perhaps in some ways less pettiness. They are the same thoughts, however, that leave her staring at a the reflection of herself in a blood red silk gown, hair pulled loosely behind her, perfectly prepared to have a golden crown placed upon her head. A crown that will officially coronate her Queen to the king who murdered her parents. The king she is beginning every day to give more and more of her broken little heart to.

"I had planned on complimenting your beauty when I came in" the King's voice sounds says quietly from a whisper behind the soon to be Queen "but looking at you now- the word seems an insult. You look-" he pauses, pressing his lips softly to her cheek "exquisite"

Caroline smiles, forgetting every thought that had been in her head before the feeling of his skin on hers "thank you" she responds quietly

"I almost do not want to share you with the rest of the kingdom"

"I belonged to the people of the Mystic Kingdom far before I belonged to you, my king" she says

"What a ridiculous notion" he shakes his head, raising a hand to graze her cheek "that Caroline Forbes could ever belong to anyone she did not choose to give herself to"

Caroline smiles, kissing him quickly "and she can decide to take herself back any time she wants" she grins "remember that"

"Why do you think I am so eager to make this coronation official." He jokes "you belong to whoever has your heart. And I would like to believe I know you well enough to know that your heart will never belong to anyone as fully as it does your people. That is why a proper Queen is necessary for the survival of any great kingdom"

"A king can love his people" Caroline argues

"He can" Klaus admits "and he should. But a true King, a true man will always have one fatal weakness. Love. Any King worth serving would slaughter his entire kingdom to protect his Queen."

"Well from what I hear, my king would slaughter an entire kingdom just because it is Tuesday"

Klaus' face darkens a little "my point is simply that men are jealous and think with their sword before their mind. Women, on the other hand, have a much greater capacity for clear thought. The heart is a man's greatest weakness and a woman's greatest strength"

Caroline rolls her eyes "all my life I have heard men swear to sacrifice their lives for the woman they love. All my life I have watched noble knights go to battle, the names of their lovers on their lips. All my life I have watched men claim to fight for love. I do not believe that. Men fight because it is in their nature, and to blame women for that is not a compliment. To call the woman you love your greatest weakness is _not_ a compliment."

"Love is a very complicated thing" Klaus says simply

"When I believed myself to be in love with Tyler I felt infallible. It was my greatest sense of strength, and yet he had to bring an army to try and save me. Why did I seem so weak to him when I felt so strong to myself? I asked Stefan that question, and do you know what he said?"

Klaus sighs "I have not the faintest, but I am sure it was absolutely perfect and made you feel far better than any words I have ever spoken to you"

Caroline grits her teeth, "L'amre è la debolezza e la forza"

"Love is weakness and strength" Klaus translates easily with a meaningful nod of his head and a tense jaw

"To believe that love never makes a woman weak-" Caroline begins

"or a man strong" Klaus finishes, reaching for her hand "is a great mistake. I apologize, Caroline, Stefan is correct. The burdens and joys of love are equally felt I am sure"

Caroline shakes her head slightly "do not claim to be in love with me until you know what love is".

Caroline glides gracefully out of the room, leaving Klaus standing there, jaw tight, frustrated. Every time he manages to take a step forward with this girl it seems he falls two steps back

XXX

Caroline knows she was a tad harsh with Klaus, but after her parents died she swore she would never love _anyone_ again, let alone their murderer. The very idea of being in love or having someone love her feels wrong and foreign. Caroline Forbes is a neurotic overly obsessed control freak, and love feels the greatest loss of control. The very idea that your emotions can be entangled so deeply with another person that their sadness is you own, that their actions affect you, that you rely on them for happiness, it is a terrifying notion. Having her body become one with his, feeling such a deep connection that she truly could not tell where her body ended and his began was the most simultaneously glorious and terrifying experience of her life. Giving her body to him is not something Caroline takes lightly, and giving him her heart will be even more difficult- if not impossible.

Caroline seeks to do what any young girl in her position would do- she finds her best friend. Standing outside of Stefan's door Caroline raises her hand and knocks quietly, hearing a rustling and a distinctively female voice laugh inside

"Who is it?" Stefan's voice calls, clearly distracted and slightly breathless

"It's Caroline" she says, eyebrow raised

"shit" she hears a whisper "Uh just a second Caroline, I am not alone, let me-"

"That's ok" she says with a smile, reaching to open the door "I would actually like to talk to Elena too so don't-"

Except it is not Elena sitting wrapped in Stefan's sheet. It is not Elena whose body Stefan's left hand is caressing. It is not Elena's teeth clamped lightly on Stefan's earlobe.

It is Rebekah.

"Caroline, I- this is not what it looks like!" Stefan defends quickly, wrapping a fur around his lower torso

"Realy? So you aren't having sex with someone other than my best friend who you just happen to have asked to marry you? Is that NOT what is going on here?!"

"oh bugger off Caroline, we were having such fun" Rebekah grins, moving her lips down Stefan's neck

"I- Caroline I am sorry. Elena made it pretty clear she does not want me. I do not think I am doing anything wrong"

Caroline scoffs "then why did you curse and leap 4 feet in the air when I walked in." Her hand moves to her hip and she glares at him "Elena is confused right now. She does not know what she wants! Your brother can be quite charming and she got distracted! It is only normal"

"Why is she allowed to be distracted and I am not?"

"You are allowed to be distracted but last time I checked Elena was not jumping in to bed with Damon! God are you TRYING to push her away? Because if so then mission accomplished"

"It has been over a month since I proposed Caroline!" Stefan yells "I think Elena's silence is her choice" he glares

Caroline shakes her head, scrunching up her face as she replies on a disgusted tone "yes Stefan it has been a month. And in that month she has seen one of her best friend's married to a monster and found out that everything she knows about the world she was born into is wrong and everyone around her has been lying to her for years! Both of the men she loves and all of her best friends, even her sister have betrayed her! God you are seriously punishing her for compassion and confusion? This is not when you screw other girls Stefan, if you really loved her, you would be there for her-" Caroline is no where near done when Rebekah abruptly rises from the bed, sheet still pulled around her naked body

"right well I was really only here for the sex, not so much into the best friend bickering and deep debates about who the Pierce girl may or may not love. " she pauses at the door, turning back to make eye contact with Stefan "let me know when you are free again" and she leaves

"Caroline I really do not want to do this right now" Stefan sighs "I love Elena. You know I do, but-"

"Stop" Caroline spits "you men sure do love that word. Love. You think saying that solves everything but it does not. If you really loved Elena you could never do this to her. If you loved her then the thought of how absolutely _shattered_ she is going to be when she hears about this- whether you think she has a right to be or not- would be so painful to you that the pleasure you get from this action would cease because of the pain you know you are causing the person you love. There seems to be a problem in this castle of men claiming to love women when they have no idea what love really is!" she yells, on the verge of tears "grand vows and declarations of love mean nothing if you are too selfish to uphold them".

"Caroline I-"

"I really do not want to hear it Stefan. I will see you at the coronation but please do not speak to me- or Elena".

As Caroline turns to leave Stefan's chambers a truly terrifying thought eeks its way into her mind. A month ago would she have been so upset with Stefan? Elena is kind of betraying him too. Why does she hold him to a higher standard? Why is she so obsessed with what love really is all of a sudden.

The traitorous voice in the back of her mind seems to whisper inside her ear, leaving the words bouncing around inside her skull for the rest of the day

" _Because for the first time in your life, you know what love is."_

XXX

"Where is Bonnie?" Caroline asks as she stares at the giant, nearly empty room from the golden chair she sits in. The coronation will begin soon and as much as she simply wants it to be over, she wants her best friend there more.

"Oh where is anyone these days, pick a Mikaelson" Elena broods from her front row seat

"Stop being bitter sister" Katherine chimes in quickly "just because you cannot keep a man does not mean that the rest of us have to be miserable nuns as well"

Caroline sees Elena about to retort but holds her hand up in possibly the most blatant show of royal power she has ever displayed in front of her friends, and she instantly apologizes for it with the tone in her words "please do not fight" she pleads "You two and Bonnie are the only people in this kingdom I can still be sure I trust, I would really prefer if a civil war did not break out amidst the testosterone fuelled battlefield of this castle"

"Of course" Elena says immediately "I am sorry, we are all dealing with things right now, we should not fight"

Katherine nods quietly- if not a little sullenly- in agreeance and Caroline gives a small smile "Remember how massive this castle used to feel when we were girls? I swear there was a time when I thought we would never be able to explore every hall and room." She pauses, looking around the overly ornate room full of chairs "and now it just feels so small I could suffocate"

"It could be worse" Katherine says quietly

"It could also be better" Elena interjects

"Yeah but it is not. If we are going to be all girl power ra ra ra today then let us at least accept the bit of power we do have in this situation. Caroline is about to be Queen! Considering less than a year ago she was hiding in our cellar rooms, I think we can count this day a success"

The room falls silent as the doors burst open to reveal a guard "your grace" he bows to Caroline "His majestly says the ceremony will be starting soon and requests your presence in the preparation room as we allow the guests in"

Caroline smiles "Tell him I will be right along" and as the door closes her smile falls and she looks at Katherine "there may be a day when I celebrate being Queen. There may be a day when I can actually do something of merit in this kingdom, but for now" she pauses "for now I am every bit as much a prisoner as I was a year ago, just in a more beautiful cell".

XXX

"There she is, my Queen" Klaus smiles grandly but receives no more than a curt nod in response "are you all right sweetheart?"

"Fine" She says quietly

"Oh come on, smile, you are about to become a Queen, my lo-"

"Do not say it" Caroline interrupts him "please can everyone just stop using that word."

"As you wish" Klaus replies darkly

"Thank you" Caroline says with a blank face as the trumpets begin to sound "I believe that is our cue" she says, moving towards him

Klaus takes her hand gallantly in his own, prepared to lead her formally into the throne room, but not before adding one final whisper "I will abide by your wishes, but just so you know, Caroline, just because you refuse to hear something does not make it any less true".

Within minuets a golden crown is placed atop Caroline's golden curls as her gold clad husband smiles at her. All she can think about in that instant is how gold her life feels. Hard and extravagant and completely hollow. Yet, somehow, she thinks fleetingly- strangely malleable.


	15. Wolf, Crown, Fang

**I have no excuses and nothing to say save for: Klaroline Forever and always.**

Chapter 15:

"Kol we have to go" Bonnie laughs, trying to be serious as he pulls hard on the dress she is attempting to put back on "Caroline will never forgive me if I miss her coronation"

"Sure she will" Kol smirks "She has spent the night with a Mikaelson, she understands the _allure"_

"Do not be crude" Bonnie snears "This is a very important day, Caroline and I have dreamed about her coronation since we could speak, and you should be there for your brother anyway!"

Kol laughs "Nik and I are best when kept a few rooms apart from eachother. I love my brother, but the fondest memories of my life are the ones where I was kingdoms away from him"

Bonnie looks sadly at him"I am sorry that your family is not what you want them to be. It is a sentiment I understand greatly. Nothing in this world is more painful than feeling out of place among those that are meant to love you most"

"Eh bugger to Nik" he grins, grabbing her around the waist "bugger to everyone in the whole sodding world but you Bonnie Bennett" she giggles as he begins trailing sweet kisses down her neck

Bonnie sighs gently "Promise me that after the ceremony you will tell me all about your travels, I want to hear all about what life is like outside the Mystic Kingdom" Kol pauses his movements, surveying Bonnie in a peculiar way "why are you looking at me like that?" she ask softly

"Nothing, it is just easy for me to forget sometimes how trapped you have been in this kingdom. It makes me angry, you should have been with me on all of my travels."

"I am not complaining, I am happy here. I just wish to hear more about the lands across seas"

A sly grin crosses Kol's face, an idea clearly forming in his mind "Bonnie Bennet, have you any family left?"

She looks to the ground "no, not anymore"

"Well then I suppose there is no one to ask for permission"

"Permission for what?"

Bonnie stand completely in shock as the prince falls onto one knee before her, removing the Mikaelson family seal ring from his index finger and holding it out to her "Permission to marry you tonight after the coronation and whisk you away on a midnight ship so that I may show you things you cannot even imagine exist"

Bonnie's eyes are saucers and her hand has begun to shake in Kol's "I- I- there is no way- I- I cannot leave Caroline- I" She stutters out

"Caroline has every friend in the world within these walls. She has servants, and a handful of vampires to protect her. She has a husband and king who is completely in love with her. She would want you to be happy. Let me give you everything that a princess has."

"This is crazy" she stutters "It is not proper"

"What about this royal family is proper my love?" He sees her about to speak but continues "one year. Just a year abroad and then we return and Caroline will still be here"

"This is insane" she repeats

"That is not a no" Kol challenges

"Okay" she says quietly

"Okay?" he asks, brown eyes wide and full of hope. She nods and he slips the large ring over her thumb- the only finger it will fit-before standing slowly. He fits his arm through hers "You will not regret it, I promise."

XXX

"I present to you-" A gold clad palace official speaks slowly and in a grand voice to hold suspesnse, facing a crowd of lords and ladies who have parted to create a walkway "Caroline Elizabeth Mikaelson born of House Forbes, eldest daughter of his grace king William Forbes and her majesty Queen Elizabeth Forbes may they rest in peace, Queen of the Mystic Kingdom" cheers erupt throughout the throne room, and from outside the palace, the sound heard through the balcony windows.

The kingdom is in a frenzy seeing the princess they watched grow up and fell in love with become their queen. Caroline smiles for the first time in days, her heart beating hard against her rib cage as she begins to walk through the crowd, gown and Klaus trailing closely behind her.

"How does it feel, love?" Klaus asks quietly in her ear as they walk past rows upon rows of nobleman

"There are not words" she breathes, her voice and smile as light as air

XXX

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asks nervously, looking back and forth between the small ship and Kol

"I believe that is my line" Kol smiles, raising her hand to his lips "besides, I believe it is a little late for cold feet, my love" he smirks, gesturing to the simple silver band across the fourth finger on her left hand.

Bonnie looks down at it thoughtfully, the entire day had moved so quickly. It felt like only a moment ago Caroline was crowned queen, but an entire celebration ball had passed later that evening (well half of a ball, the lights of the party still illuminated the water even down by the harbor, but Kol and her had left a few hours into the party). She still cannot believe she is married.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks, trying to gauge what her hesitation is

"Do you remember the day that we met?"

"I will never forget that day"

"That- that was the first time I ever broke the rules. I was practicing my magic when I wasn't supposed to be. I had never broken the rules until that moment, and it feels as though all I've done since that day is break rules"

Kol looks at her for a moment, taking in her worried features and then smirks a little "Some rules were made to be broken"

"Something tells me you believe all rules were made to be broken" she laughs

"Not at all-" he offers Bonnie his arm and begins to lead her up the dock and onto their getaway ship "I simply believe they should not be made in the first place" he grins as they walk toward the bow of the ship and look out over the water ahead of them

"alright, no rules then" Bonnie smiles, reaching up to kiss him as the ship hums to life.

XXX

Caroline maneuvers her oversized skirt gracefully across the dance floor as she catches a glimpse of Katherine, Elijah, and Elena. Having not had time to see her friends since the party began she is eager, but just as she is waving at them from steps away a warm hand catches her arm "may I have this dance your grace?" the slight Italian lilt of the voice sets Caroline's blood boiling

"Go ask Rebekah to dance" she spits at the man she would have called her best friend in the world only hours ago

"Please, Caroline." He lowers his voice "one dance, just give me a few moments to explain myself"

"Do not tell me that you realize the awful mistake you made, tell her" the queen says gesturing to a dejected looking Elena

"That was not what I was going to say. I do not regret my actions, I regret that they are affecting our friendship"

Caroline pauses, appalled "well, in that case, there is nothing more you can say to me Stefan" she tries to pull away but he holds firm.

"Please, Caroline-"

"I believe she said she was done speaking to you _mate"_ Klaus' accented voice breaks in, stepping immediately between the two feuding friends.

Stefan shakes his head, looking around Klaus to catch Caroline's eye, noting the way his hand rests protectively on her waist "I am not the only one drawn to the enemy Caroline. Perhaps when you realize that we can be friends again," he says, shaking his head in disappointment and making his way to the exit of the ballroom

"I did not need your help" Caroline says, turning to her husband

"I know" is his simple reply, she studies him for a quiet moment before his hand extends "care for a dance?"

Caroline smiles slightly "rain check? I have not gotten to see Elena, Katherine or Bonnie all night, I would like to check in on them"

Klaus nods with a tight smile

"The last dance is yours, I promise" she says to appease him and he nods again, moving back into the crowd. Upset but understanding- well, as understanding as Klaus ever is. Caroline shakes the encounter quickly and moves to hug Elena

"Congratulations Care, you must be walking on air!" she gushes

Katherine scoffs "not exactly the coronation of her dreams, Elena"

Elena bows her head and offers a sympathetic smile "of course, sorry that was dumb. I know this is not how you pictured it, but-"

"But I am still Queen, which means that I am alive, I am with my amazing friends, and I have at least some power to protect my people. This is a good thing Kat"

"Not as good as it could be" she glares

"I find it surprising that you are the bitter one here Katherine" Elena breaks in "considering you appear to be in the best situation of any of us as a result of these circumstances" she gestures to Elijah, who has remained characteristically stoic throughout the encounter

Katherine looks up at him with the closest to a 'loving expression' that she is capable of and places her hand on his chest as she speaks "just because I have benefited from the situation does not mean I wish it upon my friend".

"Thank you for the concern Katherine, but I am fine" Caroline says as a means of ending the conversation "but how are you doing?" she asks, turning with concern toward Elena, who is completely checked out of the encounter and smiling flirtatiously into the distance. Caroline follows her gaze and is less than pleased by the Salvatore that she finds on the other end.

"Elena!" Caroline says louder to snap her out of it, clearly frustrated

"What? Oh sorry" Elena has the decency to blush in embarrassment

"Oh nothing, I was just being a good friend, enquiring after your well being after your recent heartbreak" she pauses, narrowing her eyes "but I can see you have moved on already"

"Caroline, I didn't-"

"It is fine. Do what you want Elena, I am no longer involving myself in other people's love lives." She pauses and looks down sadly "it is not fair for me to take out my own frustration at a lack of choice on you. You are free to make your own _wrong_ choices"

"Wow Caroline, that is so-"

"Excuse me, I am going to find Bonnie" and with that Caroline exits the room and cuts into the hallway.

XXX

"Caroline Forbes, disappearing from her own party? The noblemen will be scandalized" Klaus laughs coming up behind his newly crowned Queen, loving the way that thought feels as it flits across his mind, _his Queen._

Caroline gives a sad smile "sorry, I got into a disagreement with Elena"

"And you did not want to cause a scene?"

"No" Caroline shook her head "I was fine with the scene, I just wanted to find Bonnie" she pauses, looking around "but that has proven futile" she finishes on a sigh

Klaus' lip quirks in a way that makes her squint more "yes, I have been unable to locate Kol since after the first waltz as well, I suspect that those are correlated".

Caroline nods "you Mikaelson men do have a knack for sinking your teeth into the ladies of this castle" Caroline's eyes widen, realizing the irony in what she just said before they both break out into a gentle laugh

"Years of practice has left us with certain _skills_ I suppose" he says suggestively

"Do they all involve your mouth?" Caroline surprises herself with the words that escape her; it is the most forward thing she has ever said to him. She used to speak to Tyler like this, but it was all teasing, keeping him interested until they got married. But with Klaus it feels… different.

A low growl rips through his throat as a cocky smirk makes its way across his full lips. He reaches a hand out to snake around her waist, drawing her nearer and nearer to him until her hips mold into his own through the silk of her skirts, his hand comes up to rest in her curls as he whispers on a husky voice "that is a theory I would be more than happy to test out later this evening"

Caroline blushes harder, but to both of their surprise does not rescind her earlier comment. She does not add to the topic either, though "I should really go find Bonnie"

"I do not think you want to see your friend in the state I am guessing she is currently in"

"Do not be so vulgar" Caroline rolls her eyes

"Apologies my lady, I suppose I did not take your for the type of delicate lady to faint at the mention of sex"

Caroline glares at him "I have witnessed and heard far more vile things than your thinly veiled reference to your brother and my friend's indiscretion's. I simply prefer not to think of my friend in that way" she pauses "and I find it a little odd how comfortable you are picturing your brother in that way"

Klaus scoffs "I can assure you the only person I picture in _that_ way is you, sweetheart. Nevertheless I do not blind myself to the actions of others. It is a King's duty to know everything going on inside of his palace"

"Interesting what different views we have on what a King's duties are"

"Do not pretend you did not know what I was truly after in taking this throne Caroline" Klaus growls, tiring of her attitude "the people will be taken care of by Elijah and yourself. I have given you that power, do not make me regret it"

"You have given it to me? You have never given me anything! That power is mine by right I am the Queen of this country. You are nothing more than a usurping king slayer who got to where he is because of what you are!"

"That is enough" Klaus says in a terrifyingly even tone

Caroline scoffs "you know what, it really is. I cannot keep having this same fight with you Klaus, every time I think you might be making progress you just shut me out again."

"I never said I wanted to make progress. I am happy with who I am Caroline"

"We both know that is not true" she snaps, watching his face flinch and then harden again. She continues on a softer voice "you said you want me to return your feelings. That is not going happen unless you change. I will not give my heart to a monster, I cannot handle it breaking anymore"

Klaus glares at her, her words cutting him too deep and too close to an already unhealed wound in his own broken little heart. He sneers, covering his pain the only way he knows how "you have already given the rest of yourself to me Caroline Forbes. I do not need your heart"

Caroline shakes her head "I feel sorry for you Klaus" she pauses "but not sorry enough to let you drag me into your darkness" she starts to turn away, frozen in place by his chilling words

"I am surprised by how one so strong can be so naïve" he spits, causing her to turn slightly to face him, a questioning look on her face "if you think you have not already begun falling into this darkness, you are deluding yourself Caroline" he says on a cruel smirk "I can see how you have changed in only these few months. Just imagine what you will become over the years, I cannot wait."

Caroline storms off down the hall, unable to form an appropriate response for one major reason- he is right.

XXX

"A parcel has come for you, your majesty" a servant says with a knock on Caroline's door

"Come in, leave it on my desk please" Caroline says, not quite ready to have a conversation with anyone. Still reeling from her fight woth Klaus she gets up and inspects the small Red and white box, tied with a perfect blue ribbon and knows without looking to the letter who it is from. She takes a deep breath in and opens the letter

 _My dearest Caroline,_

 _I know that you are probably already rolling your eyes at my referring to you as mine, but I do not regret my greeting. I still think of you as mine, princess, because of how fully I have realized I am yours. I have thought of nothing but you since the day I saw you in the Mystic Kingdom. I am filled with regret at leaving; I only did so because I have never been able to deny you anything you ask. I am haunted every night by the image of you in white looking as beautiful as you did that day but walking towards another man and I know it is inappropriate to write in this way to a married woman, but I will never forgive myself if I do not try at least once more to fight for the woman I love, the woman I have loved since the day I met her. That man is poison, and he will hurt you as he hurt your parents, as he hurts people every day. There are dark things about this family that you do not know, and I cannot bear to see a girl who has always been cloaked in light fall victim to this curse. I know more of curses now than I ever have, and Niklaus Mikaelson_ is _a curse. I love you Caroline Forbes, and I will always love you. You promised me on what I refuse to think of as the last day I will ever see you that you would write for help should you ever be in danger. Please keep that in mind as I fear you may not always be willing to admit the danger you know you are in. If you tell me that you can truly be happy with that man, that you are honestly not afraid of him in the least, then I will never write to you again, but if even the tiniest part of you fears for your safety, please know that despite what you may think, there are ways to defeat him. Ways to ensure your safety and happiness as well as the safety and happiness of your people. I have sent with this letter a gift fitting for my golden princess and nothing would make me happier than to see you wear it as you enter the English court. Tell me what you want Caroline, and it is yours._

 _Love always,_

 _Prince Tyler_

Caroline can barely organize her thought given all the implications of this letter. Tyler knows, he must know, yet he thinks he can defeat the Mikaelson's? She feels more torn than ever before, part of her hating the way Tyler spoke of her as someone who needed protecting, hates the idea of relying on him, is not even sure if she ever loved him, but equally as afraid of letting her newfound power cloud her judgement. She is a Queen, she is strong and respected and Klaus makes her feel powerful. The Queen stares at the tiny box, wondering if it is better to feel weak but always protected or strong but always in fear.

She slides the ribbon off the box, hoping the gift may give her a better insight, and pulls out a solid gold linked bracelet with three charms attached- a small wolf on one side, a long fang on the other, and a crown resting between them. He knows, Tyler knows everything and she is sure of it now. But how?

Caroline fingers the bracelet and realizes in a moment of perfect clarity or perfect madness what she has to do.


	16. Ends in Blood

Chapter 16:

"Caroline you must be mad" Elena says on a nearly silent but impassioned whisper

"Look Elena" Caroline says calmly "when I ran from home the night my parents were murdered I went to Katherine, because I needed to be pressured into making hard choices. Now I am coming to you because I need help and support. I need my best friend here, and with Bonnie nowhere to be found I am about ready to fall apart into a million pieces so _please_ do not lecture me, just help me"

Elena looks at her friend, the girl she has known since she was born and nods her head slowly. She will not question this decision, it is Caroline's to make, she will support her; "I am coming with you"

Caroline almost protests- Elena's place is here, in the Mystic Kingdom, where she has always been, but the old selfish Caroline is just alive enough to nod her head, burst into tears, pull Elena near and accept the offer with a soft "thank you"

"You are my best friend. You would do the same for me". Caroline smiles because she knows she would. Elena pauses "do I at least have time to pack some beauty essentials and an extra dress though, because I would rather not walk into the English court looking like a dirty runaway"

Caroline laughs "yes, we leave at dusk tonight, I already spoke to Stefan and we are taking an Italian ship out. The excuse is that Damon and Stefan are being called back home because Giuseppe has fallen ill, the ship will be fully prepared and we will both bid our goodbye's to them after dinner, say we are retiring to our rooms and then sneak through the clock tunnel out to the harbor and join them, shifting the ship's course for England"

"Both of the Salvatore's are joining us then?" Elena asks, clearly uncomfortable

Caroline nods "I am sorry it is the only way, perhaps this will be good for you though, help to make a decision"

Elena nods slowly "I suppose"

XXX

Caroline takes a long deep breath as she prepares herself to leave her chamber for dinner. She must act as though everything is normal. If Klaus discovers her plan it will be the end of her and all of her friends. He cannot know.

"Everything is prepared, so long as you are ready," Stefan says carefully from the doorway, pretending to be talking about the meal, but clearly speaking of their escape.

Caroline hurries to bring him in and shut the door "am I making the right choice here Stefan? What if something happens in my absence? What of Katherine and my people?"

"The reason we are leaving Katherine is the very reason you need not worry for her or the people- Elijah, he can control Klaus."

Caroline shakes her head slowly "no one can control Klaus, that is the problem" she sighs, "it is not like me to make a decision this large so quickly and rashly"

Stefan raises a hand to her shoulder to steady the shaking Queen "you made a promise that you would seek help if you felt in danger. That promise was to Tyler but it should have been to yourself. You made this decision because you do not like the person he is turning you into and because you fear for your life living with a monster. There is no other decision Caroline".

She nods her head slowly, allowing herself to be pulled into an embrace from her friend, choosing not to correct him.

She is leaving because she _does_ like the person Niklaus is turning her into, but she should not.

A knock on the door interrupts the friends and Caroline looks at him in fear, have they been overheard? "Who is it" she calls cautiously

"Greta your majesty, I have a gift from the King" Caroline exhales in relief

"Come in" she says stepping away from Stefan as she watches the girl walk in with a large dress box that has a small note card fastened to the top

"At least he is consistent" she muses, pulling the card off and turning it over

 _Accept this gift and wear it to dinner tonight in acknowledgment of a new start._

"What the hell does that mean" Caroline huffs ripping the top off the box to reveal a sea of red fabric

"I think he is trying to move past your argument" Stefan says "just wear it, he cannot suspect you do not want to make amends"

Caroline nods, lifting the garment out of the box

"I will let you re-dress, see you at dinner your grace" he says, maintaining propriety for the benefit of Greta who remains in the room.

"May I help you with the ties, you majesty" she says in an oddly menacing tone that confuses Caroline for a moment before she shakes her head and chastises herself for allowing Klaus to make her so wary of every little thing. The girl is probably overworked and tired.

"Thank you" she says, allowing herself to be free of the pale blue dress she is already wearing.

Greta slides the gifted dress over Caroline's head and she is struck immediately by the feel of velvet, Klaus usually gives her silk. The blood red garment plunges in an artfully thin V in the front, much deeper than she is used to. The servant pulls the soft fabric as tight as a second skin around Caroline's waist, allowing the skirt, which is less full than most of her gowns, to fall gracefully around her hips and down to the floor where it comes to end in a slight train.

"It is beautiful, your grace"

"It is…. Different from what I am used to"

"Your old dresses were for a princes, this is for a Queen"

Caroline nods silently, still feeling not quite right about the gift. This is not her, this is not what he would normally give her.

XXX

Klaus stops for a full moment when he sees Caroline enter, the dress is everything he wanted it to be. For a moment he forgets how upset he is with his wife "you look more ravishing in each new gift than the last"

Caroline nods "thank you, your grace. For the gift"

"I wanted to start over Caroline, we keep fighting because we do not understand each other, I am so hoping that can change"

"I believe it can" she lies "with better communication and respect of boundaries"

Klaus smirks "of course" he pulls a box from his coat pocket "I hope that one final gift will not overstep my boundaries" he says, opening it to reveal a gorgeous red silk banded necklace with the most stunning flourish of diamonds secured to it.

Caroline stands breathless for a moment, unable to speak as he moves behind her, securing the ribbon around her throat.

Dinner passes in a blur for Caroline, making small talk is nearly impossible, eating anything is ever less manageable

"Everything alright sweetheart?" Klaus asks halfway through the meal

"Yes" she says a little too fast "forgive me, I have not been feeling well all day, food is making it worse I believe"

He nods "of course, I often forget about such human things. At least try to drink some wine if you cannot handle food, there are few things a good drink cannot cure" he chuckles, pushing the golden goblet towards her.

She nods her head, accepting and taking a few small sips from the glass throughout the meal, careful not to drink more than half of it for fear of an unclear head later in the night. The unusually sweet taste of tonight's vineyard selection combined with her unrelenting nerves and inability to stomach food makes that a little difficult, however.

"So Stefan, Damon I was quite upset to hear that this will be your last meal with us," he says in a tone that would make one believe he is not upset at all.

Damon snorts in a rather ungentlemanly and sarcastic way, while Stefan rushes to speak over him "I am as well, we have come to think of the Mystic Kingdom as a second home, it will be hard to leave it and our family here behind, but of course our father must come first"

"Yes we were so sorry to hear about that tragedy" Elijah breaks in "and in a man of his age, quite unfortunate"

"They do not know yet if it will be life threatening," Stefan says "we like to remain positive. Men older than him have recovered from flu's worse than this"

"Of course, positivity is best" the kinder Mikaelson agrees

"Perhaps the lack of Salvatore distraction will allow Elena and I to venture outside the castle and visit our own parents" Katherine says, glaring at her twin

"I was unaware you cared to visit our parents" Elena responds "given how much they disapprove of everyone- I mean thing- that you do"

"Well at least I do one thing at a time" Katherine sings

"Can we please not fight" Caroline says with a hand on her head "I am feeling a little light in the head and do not want to deal with the arguing tonight"

Stefan peers inside her glass, confused by her lightheadedness, she barely had a half a goblet of wine. Why is she feeling ill?

"Caroline, love, if you would like to retire early you may" Klaus says with a supportive hand on her waist "I am sure no one here wants you to remain uncomfortable for our benefit"

Caroline nods slowly, looking carefully at her husband, being distracted for a moment by the disappointment that washes over her when she realizes that this is the last time she will see him.

The guilt at her feeling of disappointment is enough to knot her stomach even more and she stands quickly "thank you, my lord" she says as she hastens out the door

XXX

"Are you alright, Caroline?" Elena asks quietly as she enters the Queen's room

"I will be fine." She waves off her friend's concern, ignoring her own nerves and slight headache "have Stefan and Damon left yet?"

"Yes but only just, the King believes you were to unwell to see them off, now is our chance. I will let you change and grab what you need then meet me at the clock"

"No" Caroline says quickly "I do not need anything and I do not need to change, we haven't the time"

"Are you sure? That dress does not exactly seem like something the Caroline I grew up with would wear" Elena says judgmentally

Caroline shakes her head "I have changed. I am not the Caroline you grew up with or even the one Tyler fell in love with. No sense pretending I am".

Elena nods, and with no more words needing to be spoken the two girls hurry off down the hall hand in hand.

The two move quickly through dimly lit halls and down staircases, careful not to make too much noise until they arrive at the large grandfather clock on the third floor. Caroline looks out the window to the side, watching the sun fall quickly behind the Mystic forest

"This is it" Elena smiles "the chimes begin in less than a minute"

Caroline nods in agreement, caught momentarily in a melancholy musing of her thoughts "my nightmare began in one of these tunnels, I suppose it is only fitting that it ends in one-"

She is cut off by the hourly chiming of the clock and the two girls nod at each other, sliding the heavy trick door quickly open and then closed again behind them, the scraping of wood on wood masked by the large chimes. Caroline carefully grabs the torch from the brick wall and takes the lead as they swerve through the maze leading towards freedom.

What feels like hours later, but is really only a few moments, the exit is within sight. Caroline turns to smile at her friend as she runs quickly forward to push against the door. She feels a heavy creak and a sliver of dusk moonlight hit her skin. She pushes the door open, but before she can fully step outside a shadow passes over the light and Caroline's breath hitches in her throat

"Hello love, trying to take an evening stroll are we? The fresh air might help that little headache you had earlier," Klaus says stepping menacingly in front of her.

"Elena run, go back to the castle. Find Bonnie at all cost" is Caroline's immediate response to being caught, and Elena immediately turns to sprint the other direction back through the tunnels

"Yes run Elena!" Klaus teases the human before turning back to Caroline "run to find a witch who has not been in this Kingdom for nearly a day" he smirks

Caroline looks up at him, the question forming on her lips before she is cut off "shh, you are not the one to be asking questions right now sweetheart." His eyes turn cold as he says the words, betrayal written all across his face and Caroline's heart pumps faster and faster in her chest, truly afraid of the man in front of her for the first time since the day they met

"How did you-"

"I would not speak right now if I was you," he says in that low menacing voice he has, the one that is so calm and horrifyingly even-toned that it makes any screaming tantrum he throws seem like a party. This is the voice he uses before he kills someone. This is a Klaus that Caroline has not seen since he thought she had cheated on him. This is Klaus when he feels betrayed.

Caroline tries to take a step back but Klaus reaches a strong arm out and wraps it tightly around her waist, turning to pull her back flush against his chest. She stays deathly still in his vice grip as his free hand moves a strand of hair away from the side of her face and he begins to speak darkly in her ear

"I wanted to give you everything, Caroline Forbes. I was willing to wait for you to be ready, to wait for your loyalty before I made you into what I have always known you are meant to be. I wanted to make you a true Queen with all the power and glory you deserved. I want nothing more than to give you everything you have ever wanted." He pauses, taking a deep, steadying breath "the problem, sweetheart, is that you are unwilling to admit what it is that you want. You got scared and tried to run back to Tyler. Tell me Caroline, what made you so afraid to keep your word and stay by my side?"

"You!" Caroline spits, refusing to be a docile recipient of his abuse "I am afraid of you"

Klaus laughs without humor. The sound is low and dark and bitter "would it not be more accurate to say that you are afraid of yourself? Of your darkest desires? I think that you are afraid of the fact that you are not afraid of me and my family, of what we are. You crave the power we have, and you hate how enticing my offer to make you like us was. Love, even if you had made it onto that ship you would not be happy, because you cannot run from yourself, from what you truly are. Tyler may incorrectly believe that he can save you from me, but no one can save you from yourself". He stops, and Caroline hears the unmistakable sound of metal leaving a sheath, she responds immediately, trying to struggle out of his grip no matter how futile the effort is. He smiles against the side of her face "because you do not need to be saved"

Caroline can feel the cold metal of a blade kiss the delicate skin of her throat, right below the blood red ribbon that remains tied around it "I think you need to be reminded that this is not a fairytale. You are not a helpless princess who needs to run to your Prince across the sea to be saved from a horrible beast. You need to be reminded that you are in love with beast; both outside of and within yourself, and so my love, here is the wake up call we both know you need. I cannot wait to meet the new you, Caroline"

The next moments happen as though in slow motion. Caroline feels a cold, sharp pain against her neck and watches from outside of herself as crimson red liquid spills out of her neck, the exact colour of the ribbon around her throat and flows down her chest until it disappears within the velvet of her gown.

Caroline Forbes, who only days ago viewed her life in gold now lays a cold, dead vision of marble white and liquid crimson within the arms of the man who loves her, and the one who killed her. Interesting how the struggle between power and love so often ends in blood.


	17. A Just Purpose

Finals are over, which means so much time for fanfics! Will have another chapter within a week!

Chapter 16:

"We have to go back" Bonnie says on a quiet breath only seconds after screaming herself awake

"What are you talking about? Go back where?" a half- asleep Kol asks her as he pulls the thick gold blanket up to cover his naked chest

"The Mystic kingdom. We have to go back, call the captain right now"

"You are insane" Kol says tiredly "we have barely left"

"He killed her" Bonnie whispers, tears starting to form in her eyes "you promised me that he would not hurt her! You said you knew your brother and that he was in love with her! YOU PROMISED" she yells hysterically, unable to hold back her sobbing

Kol is confused but moves quickly to wrap the crying woman in a tight embrace "shh, shh it will be alright. Just calm down and tell me what happened"

Bonnie cries for several minuets before she finds a tiny scrap of voice "Klaus turned Caroline. I saw it in my dream"

Kol's eyes widen in surprise "no, no that is not possible. Niklaus knows she will never forgive him for that, he would not do it. Your dream must have been wrong. Maybe it was just a normal dream and not… witchy.."

Bonnie fixes him with a displeased and broken look, speaking quietly "I may not be the most polished witch in the world, but I know when a dream is more than a dream"

"She must have agreed to it then. She is fine. I know she is" his voice is such a strange mix of confidence and doubt at the same time. She can tell that he truly wants to believe in his brother, that Caroline is his redemption; he is in love with her and would not wrong her. But the tiny quiver in the back of his throat tells a different story- that he knows how good Niklaus is at destroying his own happiness.

Bonnie looks up at him sadly, unsure what to say, unsure which of them should be comforting the other. "We have to go back"

He nods and leaves the cabin in a flash, not even bothering to put a shirt on.

XXX

Caroline cannot feel anything beyond the constant, throbbing pain in her temple and the dull ache in her throat. She fights to open her heavy eyelids, shielding them with her hands from the small ray of sunlight that shines in from behind the thick curtains of the room that she is in. A room that, as she quickly notes, is not her own. She wants nothing more than to put a cool cloth over her eyes and stay in bed until this headache goes away, but she can feel that something is not right.

She forces herself to open her eyes on a slight squint, pulling the heavy fur blanket covering her to the side as she quietly gets out of the large bed. She begins to make her way to the door, but leaps back and screams the second her bare leg steps into that tiny ray of sunlight. She must be ill! Is she dying of some sort of fever? Did she hallucinate her entire escape attempt? Why else would sunlight burn like fire? She turns her head to examine the room she is in, swallowing hard for two reasons, first because she knows exactly who's room this is and second because her throat could not feel more dry if she was in a desert for a week.

She snaps her head back towards the door when she hears the knob start to turn. An animalistic hiss escapes her throat as she braces herself to face her attacker.

The person who enters is not what she expects though. It is a young man with dark skin and a glazed over look in his eye that Caroline thinks she may vaguely recognize.

"Good afternoon your majesty" he says robotically. Caroline fixes him with a quizzical look "the King sent me up" he continues, moving his hand from where it previously rested against his neck.

Caroline does not remember anything from the next minute of her life except the scent of blood, the feel of a body going limp in her arms, and tears erupting from her eyes

XXX

"That is it then" Elijah says on a clearly disappointed sigh, taking a sip of tea as Caroline's sobs sounds like gunshots through the great halls

"Oh come now brother, be more excited" Klaus smirks "this is a cause for celebration, the kingdom finally has a proper Queen- one who can wield all the power she deserves"

"One who had a life she did not want forced upon her by a jealous, selfish man who she has been forced to call her husband"

"Careful Elijah" Klaus growls, his hand almost crushing the goblet he is holding

"No Niklaus, I will dance around you no longer. You took everything from that girl. You killed her parents and made the throne which is rightfully hers seem like a gracious gift you would bestow upon her in exchange for her contracting herself to you. You took every choice that girl may have had in life, and you had to take her choice to die too? If this is how you treat a woman you claim to love, then what hope have the rest of us. Does no one mean anything to you Niklaus? Is nothing-"

"ENOUGH" Klaus bellows, throwing the goblet across the room so that it shatters against the far wall "I am loyal to those who deserve my loyalty. I wanted to give her everything, I wanted this to be her choice but SHE forced my hand by trying to run. I care about very few people Elijah but I will do anything to protect those few, if they do not approve of my methods that is their own problem." He pauses, watching his brother's eyes narrow, he continues before he can be questioned, "if Caroline had gone to England she would have gotten herself caught up in a supernatural war that she cannot even imagine. The danger she was in is far more than anyone could have imagined."

"I am not sure I understand" Elijah says, perplexed

"The Lockwoods" Klaus says pensively "I have been informed by a witch in my service that they are more to fear than a rich family with an army. I will explain everything in time, but for now suffice it to say that a war is coming to the Mystic Kingdom. One the likes of which the world has never seen"

"I do not see what this has to do with Caroline's transition"

Klaus tightens his jaw "she was weak" he says simply "the weak will not survive this war" a long pause passes between them before Klaus looks up at his brother with far less anger and more sadness than Elijah expected as he continues on a quieter voice "do you really think that I want her to hate me forever? Do you really think that I would have done this if I had a choice? She may not believe me, and you may not believe me, but this is for her own good. I need to make her strong"

Elijah shakes his head, standing up and fixing his lapels "She already was strong, Niklaus."

XXX

Klaus waits several hours before going into his room, the room currently holding the angriest new vampire he will probably ever encounter. Klaus must admit that putting off this encounter is part of what spurred the village hunting trip he had gone on this afternoon. A combination of not wanting to see the hatred in Caroline's eyes and a need to think about what his brother said was more than enough to force the need for some fresh blood.

When Klaus opens the door he is not greeted with an angry flash of blond hair or bared teeth as he had expected. He is greeted by absolute silence. For a moment he thinks his Queen has escaped somehow, but then he sees her. She is curled up in a tiny ball in the farthest corner of the room, hugging her knees tight to her chest. He approaches slowly, sparing only a quick glance at the servant's body that lays beside the door. He is unsure how to handle this particular version of Caroline.

Her head snaps up and Klaus is fixed with a look that almost rips his heart in two. He has gotten used to Caroline's glares, he has gotten used to her shooting daggers at him with her eyes, but this is something entirely different. She looks at him and the bright blue of her eyes practically paralyzes him with how clear it stands out against the red rims of her eyelids. She looks so tiny and utterly defeated that all he wants to do is pull her into his arms and assure her that everything will be ok, but he cannot. Because that is not a promise he can keep.

Her lips part slowly and he waits for the biting remark, but it does not come. Instead he hears the softest, most broken version of the words "what did I do?" that he has ever heard. He continues to look at her, waiting for her next words.

Caroline thought she had no more tears left, but looking at the man who took everything from her she find a few more "what did I do to make you hate me so much"

In the many lives he has lived, Klaus had never before found himself utterly speechless. Criticism is something he has become all too accustomed to. He knows how to defend himself against the insults of his enemies and his family, he knows how to defend himself against Caroline's insults better than anyone else's, but he does not know how to defend himself against this. This is not an insult. This is an emotion he has never really had to deal with before.

Caroline shakes her head and scoffs "how can you have nothing to say? Is this all just a sport to you? Taking away my first life wasn't enough? You had to make sure you could torture me forever?"

"You would have run away" Klaus says on a quiet, slightly broken whisper "you would have left me, do not deny it"

Caroline shakes her head slowly "I am not going to deny it. I would have."

Klaus nods his head, recovering quickly from his show of emotion he hardens his face once again "then there is your answer. It has nothing to do with hate. You cannot leave because then I lose support" his response is robotic and reveals no emotion "now you have to stay, I do not think your precious Tyler will want to protect you now that you are one of the monsters he so detests"

Caroline glares at him "I remember everything" she says simply "so stop pretending that you do not care" it is not an accusation or even an insult. She says the words with no emotion, simply stating a fact

Klaus shakes his head "I may have cared once, when I thought this would make you strong. But now I see that you are just as weak and pathetic as ever. I should have let you get on that boat and do what princesses do best- cower behind a powerful man"

Caroline's eyes shoot up to him, and the king sees the tiniest flash of the old Caroline, the brave, undefeatable woman he fell in love with. He sees this in her gaze and she feels it inside, but her words certainly do not give anything away, "I do not fear weakness. I fear losing who I am"

"Being a vampire will not make you lose who you are, Caroline. Sitting around crying about it will. You may not fear it, but becoming weak is how you will lose who you are"

"Do not pretend you know who I am or who I was" she spits angrily, eyes flashing and fangs fighting to leave her gums as she desperately tries to stop him from knowing how hard his words hit her

Klaus looks at her for a long moment, both refusing to lose power by breaking their gaze until finally he turns his back on her and begins to leave the room, casually throwing over his shoulder " that is more like it, sweetheart"

Then the door slams and when Caroline looks up Klaus is gone, and so is the body.

XXX

"Give me on good reason why I should not tear your useless heart out of your chest and feed it to your traitor of a brother" Klaus growls, holding Damon up my the neck as Stefan tries to talk him off a ledge

"Because you have spoken to Caroline" Stefan says calmly "and you know that even though you did this to her, once she realizes how good life is as a vampire she may forgive you. But if you kill us, she will never know how good life can be as a vampire because you will be the only reference she has"

"My life happens to be very satisfying" Klaus growls

"For you. Not for Caroline"

"I think you will find that I no longer care what Caroline- or anyone else- thinks of me"

"Then why have you not killed us both already?" Stefan challenges, causing Klaus to tighten his grip on Damon's throat

"Great job little brother" he manages to choke out from very constricted windpipes

"Elena fell in love with my brother and I would still take her back in a heartbeat if she wanted me" Stefan admits "All Caroline did was get scared, there is no way you are over her. You are so in love with her that it eats at you so you pretend to hate her when you really hate yourself" Stefan says all on one breath, causing Klaus to go completely still "being a vampire gives you all the power in the world, but it does not give you the power to choose who you love. You can kill us both but it will not change the fact that you are in love with a woman who hates only one person more than herself- you."

Klaus growls, dropping Damon unceremoniously to the floor "you have one week. Fix her."

XXX

"I am a monster Stefan" Caroline sobs as the younger Salvatore tries to clean her of the blood staining her pale skin "I killed a man" she hyperventilates "he-he is dead, he is dead because of me" she screeches "I am just like Klaus, I am just like Kol. I hate them for killing my parents, what if that was someone's dad" the tears never seem to stop and for a long moment Stefan is unsure what to say

"Listen to me" he says calmly, placing a hand on each of her shoulders "you are not like them. You will not be like them, I promise. You can control this. If I can control this then you can, you see me, you see Damon, even Elijah- we all control the blood lust. You will not become a monster unless you let yourself be one"

"What if I am not strong enough to fight it" she sobs, thinking of Klaus' harsh words earlier "I have never been strong"

"That is a lie and you know it" Stefan says softly, pulling her from the wash basin to sit on her bed "everything you have done these last months has taken more strength than I can imagine. You gave yourself up for your people, you hold your own against one of the most dangerous men on the planet, you do what you have to do to protect people. This is no difference"

Caroline nods slowly, still not completely convinced "you will not become a monster" Stefan assures her "because I will not let you"

A few more tears silently fall from her eyes as Caroline curls her body tightly against Stefan, letting him wrap his arms around her the same way her father used to when she was a little girl. There is a comfort in being weak for just a few moments.

XXX

"I know I gave your brother and you a week, but how far are you really going to push this? I mean clearly if you are still here you _want_ to die" Klaus grits out, becoming increasingly annoyed the longer Damon chooses to stay in the room

"Well I figure sitting here watching you suffer while Stefan holds the girl you love is more satisfying than bumping into Elena and having to be the one to explain to her that her best friend is now the very creature she still refuses to forgive me for lying to her about being" he shrugs, helping himself to a glass of the amber liquid Klaus has been downing all afternoon

"Ah yes, so you would prefer Stefan tell her? Because he is such a master of _comfort_ "

"I am fine with comfort. I don't do apologies though- especially for something that could not be farther from my fault" he scoffs

"How does she manage to overlook all of your indiscretions then?" he muses "if you refuse to apologize then what is it"

"Some people are just more capable of forgiveness" Damon shrugs "I bet you score about a negative 500 in that department"

Klaus narrows his eyes, but chooses to ignore the insult "come on, there must be a secret. It cannot just be her naivety, what is it? Compulsion? Manipulation?" he pauses, setting his glass down and turning to look at the eldest Salvatore for the first time "what is it you say to her?"

Damon narrows his eyes, letting out a small, humorless laugh "well first of all, I try not to kill her or her immediate family members. That is usually a good start" Klaus growls low in his throat but Damon continues "I refuse to apologize because I do not do anything I regret" he states simply "I do bad things because someone has to do them, because not everything can be solved with a hearty pep talk. If you are going to be bad, be bad with a purpose. Otherwise you just are not worth forgiving"

"You think that I spent decades living in the woods, training, planning, fighting to take something without purpose?" Klaus shakes his head

"Pride and thirst for power is not a just purpose" he shakes his head slowly as well

"Debatable" Klaus smirks

"Look, your _majesty,_ do whatever you want. You have all the power so go ahead and kill us all and then kill all of England if you want, justify it however you want I do not really give a rats ass. If you want more power than take it. But if you want Caroline, well getting her is not as simple. You cannot get a woman by force or coercion- not if you really love her"

Klaus nods slightly, placing his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose he inhales a deep breath "thank you" he says on a barely audible whisper before flashing away.


	18. Used To Be

I know, I said I would update forever ago, life is hard and Juli Plec isn't helping! Still, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 18

"Why do you not say these things to Caroline? I truly believe it may soothe her, she has made quite a lot of progress these past days" Katherine says in response to Elijah's relaying of what he said to his brother regarding Caroline's vampirism

He sighs "I do not think it is appropriate just yet, She needs time to be with her friends. Perhaps we can have a pragmatic discussion once she is feeling more herself"

Katherine rolls her eyes "have you ever stopped to think that perhaps you are her friend? Before we came and after her parents died you were her only glimmer of hope- she respects your opinion 'lijah"

Elijah remains stoically quiet, glancing absentmindedly at a book that is in front of him. Katherine huffs a little, moving suddenly to sit on the couch at the other end of the room

"Well if you are not going to take my advice, can you at least tell me if you have decided about my request yet?" she says in a sharp tone, one that is much more typically Katherine than Elijah is used to hearing

Elijah tenses noticeably "Katerina-" he begins slowly

"Stop" she says with an eye roll "I do not need a speech. Your answer is no, that is fine." She pauses, looking up at him with cold eyes "I wanted it to be you, but I have a palace full of options"

"Why do you want this? Do you not see how it eats at all of your friends? Becoming like us is not a gift, its is-"

"A necessity" she breaks in "you may refuse to admit it, but Klaus is right." Elijah flinches noticeably "this is not a world made for humans and soon it will not be one they can be guaranteed survival in. I value my own survival quite a lot so if you do not care enough for me to do as your brother did, then I will find another option" she stands, making to leave the room but Elijah is next to her in seconds with a tight grip on her upper arm

"You know, most ladies ask their noble lovers for marriage not death" he muses gently, circling his arm around her waist

Katherine looks down, a sly smile creeping across her mouth as her head shakes slightly "you have known me a short time, my prince- but when have you _ever_ found me to be like most ladies?"

"Never" he laughs gently "that is what I have always loved about you Katerina"

She freezes. It is the first time he has said it. The first time either of them have said it. Katherine can feel her breath catch in in her throat and her mouth open slightly as her shocked brown eyes connect immediately with his. Elijah for his part is stoic as ever, calculated and composed as usual, he shows no signs of regretting his words. He is sure of what he said. "If that is how you feel" she begins "then prove it to me. Words are so easy. Show me that you want to love me forever as I want to love you"

"No" he says quietly and she pulls back immediately, but he keeps his grip strong on her waist "please, just give me a few days to think and for everything to settle down. This is not the time to be making such a transition. If you still want this in a fortnight, then it is yours".

Katherine nods but gives no answer before pulling herself from his grip and leaving the room

XXX

"I am still not any good at this" Caroline groans, throwing a thoroughly mangled hare down to the forest floor

"Nonsense" Stefan breaks in "you get better every day. The precision takes time to master, but you are getting the job done and that is all that really matter".

Caroline nods slowly, wiping blood from her mouth "I suppose as long as I do not murder any more unsuspecting servants then we can call this a success"

"That was not your fault" Stefan says sternly, in the same way he has so many other times

"Really" Caroline snaps "I must have missed the part where Klaus held me down and forced that man's blood down my throat. Perhaps it is time we all start taking accountability for our own actions Stefan. I hate Klaus, I will always hate him, but I hate myself just as much and I cannot use him to expunge that."

"HE DID THIS TO YOU" Stefan yells but catches himself quickly, regining in his temper to speak through gritted teeth "This is all his fault. And the old you would agree with me. Caroline you have always been hyper-responsible for the actions of other and that is heightened now. As a princess you were taught that the country is your responsibility but this is not an issue of foreign diplomacy and you cannot fix everything or protect everyone like you used to. These are new problems and self-deprecation is not going to help solve them"

Caroline fixes an icy blue stare on her best friend "maybe so" she says sternly "but fantasizing about the 'old me' is not going to solve anything either _Stefan._ This is not the life I wanted but it is the one I have so forgive me for trying to move on instead of wallow in my hatred of a man that I have no way of escaping" she spits

"Caroline I-" his tone is apologetic, but the Queen is not in the mood.

"Forget it Mr. Salvatore" she says formally, turning on her heel "you have been most helpful this last week but I think it is about time I take my future and the future of this country back into my hands. I am done crying."

Caroline speeds away too quickly to see Stefan's proud smile.

XXX

"Caroline" the deep, amused voice echoes throughout the small, cluttered room "to what do I owe the pleasure, my love?"

"I hate you," she says with a composed disdain

"Oh now you are just being boring sweetheart, did you really come and knock on my door at such an early hour merely to tell me something that your six days of silent treatment were doing a perfectly good job of making clear?" Klaus rolls his eyes, unaffected as he returns to the canvas in front of him, picking up his charcoal again.

"I never actually got to say it" she muses, making her way quietly through his studio "and not just after you _killed_ me, but at all" she picks up a portrait of a full figured woman, half naked and looking wistfully towards the edge of the parchment she is immortalized on "I was so afraid when I first came to make a deal with you that I never said it, and then I was genuinely trying to make whatever farce of a relationship we had going that I never truly said it to you-"

"you did not have to" he says casually, revealing none of the pain he truly feels at having always known her feelings towards him

"Well either way I never did. But I think we can both agree now that I have not much else to fear from you as there is really not a whole lot else you can take from me" he scoffs quietly, choosing not to mention at this exact moment that there is always something more he can take from her. She loves too many people to ever be truly free from threat "- and we can both have a good laugh at the ridiculous idea of us ever having any kind of true relationship at this point, so I just really wanted to say it. Feels good." She shrugs

"I can imagine it would" he says, still barely acknowledging her "life is so much more fulfilling when you have a target for all the pent up rage that vampirism seems to inevitably produce." She looks up at him, clearly surprised by his demeanor. He catches her eyes and his cover is destroyed. She can see his sadness, it is all there in the way he looks at her as though she hung the moon, as though her eyes connecting with his have briefly stolen his breath and words. He continues on a quieter voice, without breaking eye contact "I can assure you working towards revenge is much more satisfying than pretending that we are creatures capable of love"

Her eyes stay locked on his, filling with their own distant version of sadness and loss, "I used to be capable of that" she says quietly, the message loud and clear. There used to be a hope that he could win her heart and now there is none. "As a human, my heart always was my downfall though. I cared too deeply. I tried to fix everyone and protect everyone. Immortality has made me realize what a futile goal that was. Not everyone can be fixed" she says pointedly

"How much you have learned in such a short time" he says, returning to his art "I knew this life would suit you well"

Caroline is so shocked by his response that she laughs, actually laughs out loud and is very surprised by that because…well, none of this is funny. Despite that fact, however she just shakes her head and goes back to inspecting the parchment she holds in her hand, a realization suddenly dawning on her "wait did- did you do this?"

He nods "One of the few things I have kept from my time as a human"

"Who is she?" Caroline asks curiously

"Careful love, I might start to think you are jealous" Caroline scoffs and he continues "who she is does not really matter. She died long ago"

"If she does not matter why keep it?" the Queen challenges

Klaus takes a deep breath "a reminder I suppose. I started drawing because in a world where everyone seemed to disappear far too quickly I wanted to preserve certain beautiful things and keep them forever. The irony is not lost on me- an artist who became a living, breathing portrait. Forever the same, completely unchanged despite the centuries. The one thing that her and I still have in common" he muses

"What are you drawing now?" Caroline asks, slightly taken aback by the brief moment of humanity

Klaus raises his eyes to look at her, pausing to briefly hold her gaze before a small smile plays at his lips "come see for yourself"

Caroline crosses the room cautiously, positioning herself far too close to her estranged husband for her comfort as her eyes fall on the charcoal masterpiece in front of her. A beautiful collection of graceful lines and shaded depth that comes together to form an all too familiar face; Caroline recognizes the scene, it is from the dinner they had with the collection of foreign royalty the eve before their wedding. The scene is of her- body in profile and head turned back towards the artist- hand clasped delicately around the wrong wine glass- moments before Klaus corrected her- she is smiling in a way that is somehow shy and confident all at the same time, her eyes stare at the artist in a way that is grateful and surprised. Caroline is unsure how Klaus managed to capture every emotion she felt in that exact moment- the first moment she truly thought her marriage may have a chance- just from seeing her eyes. She had no idea her eyes held that much emotion, that she was so easy to read, so open and vulnerable.

Caroline swallows quietly "it- it is me" she says softly, not sure what else to say

"No" Klaus says moving closer until he stands behind her, only a breath away. He whispers on a soft, almost broken voice "but it used to be"

Her head turns to him immediately, almost perfectly mimicking the position in the photo, so many things flying through her mind that she is unsure what to say. She has felt so empty these past days but now it is as though every emotion has come flooding back to her. She feels pain and fear and somehow, despite her best effort not to, a strange sense of comfort from his presence.

Klaus watches as her eyes fill again, unable to stop himself from smiling softly as the shell that had been walking around the castle starts to become a person again, as the empty eyes that entered the room fill with such a mix of conflicting- though not all negative, he notes with a touch of hope- emotions.

Caroline stands in shock but Klaus moves to gently tuck a lose curl behind her ear, his blue eyes catching her newly alive ones "and so it is again" he says quietly, leaning forward to press a soft kiss on her cheek before she can protest, and speeding out of the room before she can reprimand him.

XXX

"Well you look miserable" Damon comments, entering the sitting room that Elena is worriedly working on a needlepoint cushion.

She sighs upon his entrance, looking up from her work to huff at him "well I think I have a right to be given current circumstances"

"Why?" he asks with a furrowed brow "Caroline is the one who was killed, Klaus is in love with a woman he killed, Stefan and I are brothers desperately chasing the same fickle woman, Elena I think you may be the only resident of this castle without a reason to be miserable"

"I am not fickle" she glares at him, setting her needle aside "I did not know what I wanted even before I found out both of you have been lying to me the entire time I have known you-" Damon makes to interrupt her but she silences him quickly "I know, I know why you did it. I understand now but that does not mean I am happy about it or that I want to be a part of what you are. I love you, Damon. I love Stefan too, and Caroline and Bonnie and even in our own way- Katherine. I love you all and everything is so confusing right now that you will have to forgive me for not being in the mood to make this particular choice right now"

Damon nods tersely, his jaw set in a hard line "I suppose we should all be on your schedule. Considering you are the only one to whom time really applies anymore"

She is unsure if it is an insult or not, but chooses smartly not to engage and just smiles lightly "I suppose so, well me and Katherine"

Damon bunches up his face "oh right, almost forgot she was here- she has been so caught up in original business"

Elena shrugs "Katherine is passing the time as Katherine does, I just hope her latest dalliance does not end badly for her- as it did for Caroline"

"I think Katherine can handle herself" Damon laughs "even against an original"

"I thought that about Caroline once"

"Blondie can handle herself. She is still breathing is she not? When dealing with the originals that is really the best anyone can hope for"

"It is so sad" Elena says quietly "that she has to do this for the country I mean. I know that it is the price of nobility, Katherine and I have always been so lucky- our parents would let us marry anyone so long as they held some sort of title. Giving us that choice is a gift so few women in our position have, perhaps that is my reluctance to choose- I do not want to waste this gift"

"I was unaware my brother or I could be considered a waste" Damon says with a clenched jaw

"That is not what I meant and you know it!" she says sternly "I just mean that, well- looking at Caroline and her life and everything she is giving up I cannot help but think about all the things I have always wanted. I want to fall in love and have children and raise them in my family's home. I want to grow old, I want to have grandchildren, I want to live… and as amazing as you and Stefan both are and as much as I love you, I would have to give up my life to be with either of you and I am not sure I am prepared to do that" Damon nods "at least not yet" Elena says quietly "I just need time"

"And I am willing to wait. As long as you need, not like I have anything better to do while everyone runs around trying to kill each other"

"thank you"

XXX

"We have scoured every path she could have possibly take out of the Mystic Kingdom, your highness. We have gone with our fastest ships, we have broken safety rules and sped, we have scoured the water. The princess is not on her way to England" Captain Alaric Saltzman, commander of the English naval forces informs his crowned prince

"That is not possible" Tyler says angrily "I received word from Caroline over a week ago, she should be on her way. Her ship would be traceable by our forces by now if it was on its way."

"Forgive me for saying so" the captain speaks carefully, shifting his hat nervously from one hand to the other "but I believe the only conclusion at this point is that she is not on her way"

Tyler glares at him, all of his young, untempered, Lockwood rage focused on this man right now "THEN SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED TO HER" he screams "SHE WROTE THAT SHE WAS ON HER WAY. IF YOU CANNOT FIND HER SHIP THEN YOU ARE EITHER INCOMPITENT OR THE FUTURE QUEEN OF ENGLAND IS IN GRAVE DANGER"

"of course your highness, I did not mean to make light of the situation"

"Good" the prince replies tersely "if Caroline is in danger we must go to her. Assemble 100 of your strongest ships, arm each with 500 soldiers, we are going to storm the Mystic Kingdom with a fleet the likes of which these traders cannot even imagine" he says with a dangerous glint in his eyes

Captain Saltzman looks uneasily at him "your highness, I do not mean to overstep my rank here, but we have already sent a fleet ot this kingdom for this girl and we were turned away, Is it not possible that she simply changed her mind, you know how women can be-"

"Then don't" Tyler says tersely "if you do no mean to overstep your rank then DO NOT OVERSTEP YOUR RANK CAPTAIN. I did not ask for your opinion on the matter or for a history lesson, I. Asked. You. To. Assemble. A. fleet." The prince grits out the words

"Of course your majesty" the Captain bows and exits the room swiftly

Tyler motions to a servant standing in the room "We will sail at dawn. Inform my father of this when he wakes."

The servant bows his head calmly and Prince Tyler moves swiftly towards his armory.


	19. Such Beautiful Deceit

**Hello I am back! This chapter is a bit shorter, but it's more of a teaser for a really big one next time, which I'm almost done! I hope you enjoy this one :) PS, no I am not living under a rock, I saw the finale and yes I cried all of the tears but I have gotten very good at not getting my hopes up for anything JP alludes to so for now I;m very happy to live in my little fannon world**

Chapter 19:

Caroline smiles for the first time in nearly a week, moving much quicker than her multiple layered skirts- or any human body- should really allow, careening down staircases and through hallways in a blur, leaving the very human Elena and Katherine soundly behind her as she swiftly exits the castle doors and collides in a blur of excited shrieks and tangled limbs with one of the two figures standing just below the steps.

Bonnie laughs, wrapping her arms around her friend "happy to see you to Care"

"I think we are all happy to see this, would you not agree brothers?" Kol says, admiring the view of the two women embracing each other on the ground

"Grow up Kol" Elijah says with an unimpressed tut

"How nice to see you after so long as well brother"

"It has been a week Kol, lord knows you have left us to gallivant for much longer periods than that" Klaus responds bitterly

"Ah yes" Kol admonishes with a nod, speeding up to place a hand on his brother's shoulder and leans in to whisper, voice completely covered by Katherine, Elena, and the Salvatore's rushing through the door to join Caroline and Bonnie, and Elijah moving to stand by Katherine, "but never before for such a good reason, can you honestly tell me if given the chance you would not sweep Caroline onto a ship without any of this mess around and make off together wherever you want?"

Klaus casts his gaze down to where Bonnie and Caroline have now righted themselves and are speaking hurriedly with concerned looks "no" he says through gritted teeth "some of us have put our entire lives into obtaining the castle that you are currently standing in"

Kol grins, shaking his head, lifting a finger to the king "ah you almost had me there brother, but I do not believe you" he looks once again to the women "but as much as you may hold this 'all for family, all for king and country' chip on your shoulder I believe that if she would look your way for even a second, if she would give you that chance- you would do everything in your power to get rid of the worried expression on her face"

As if on cue Caroline turns her head from the crowd of friends reuniting below, nodding her head toward Klaus and quirking her lips up slightly in the absolute smallest fraction of what could be considered a smile, which he returns just as reservedly before she turns back. The loss of her eyes feels like someone has stripped the heat right out of his body and he can't help but think, bitterly and with a lot of fear, that for the first time in his far to long life- Kol might actually be right about something. His brother smirks at him, as if he knows exactly what is going through the King's mind.

"The point remains the same. I would never flee the country with Caroline. I would not feel the way I do for her if that was what she honestly wanted"

"now I am confused brother" Kol admits on a quiet voice, aware of the vampires near them and their super hearing "is she not one of us precisely because she tried to leave?"

Klaus growls low in his throat "she was misled, but not afraid. If fear made her act she would have fled after her parents died, but she did not. Caroline knew what we were but not the fullness of what we are capable of. Everything she does is for her people, she genuinely, misguidedly believed that _Tyler-"_ he spits the word as though it is poison "could rally an army that would take us down and restore her full control of the country. She does not trust me."

"She is a clever woman then"

"And a bold one. That would be why she remains breathing"

XXX

"Oh, I was not expecting you to be in here" Elena smiles shyly, standing just inside the door of the library, looking in at Damon reading over a history text of some kind "I can come back later"

"No" he says, less casually than he had hoped "please, stay" Elena hesitates a moment and he sighs, raising an eyebrow with a smirk "I promise not to try and seduce you, m'lady"

Elena laughs lightly "well if you were capable of holding yourself back from doing that I dare say all of our lives would be far less complicated"

"Perhaps" Damon admonishes "but where is the fun in less complicated?"

"If I do stay, you cannot press upon me for any decisions. I have not made one and I do not intend to until Caroline has adjusted and Bonnie is resettled. I am here only to research a foreign affairs matter for Elijah and while I am glad of the company I will not be pressured"

Damon smirks "I would not dream of pressuring a lady"

Elena smiles a little "Oh I am so glad we can speak as friends again. How are you Damon?" she asks, making her way through the bookshelves, hands grazing lazily along their leather back's

Damon follows behind her quietly, doing everything in his power to stop from telling her how much he wishes those book backs were his skin, how he wished her lips were not speaking to him but molding to his, how he wished she would just make up her mind and choose him and be done with it already.

"You know me" he says cheekily, evading her question "so why the sudden researching for Elijah? More competition I should be worried about?"

Elena sighs "Damon" she says warningly

"What? I am not asking for a decision, just teasing" he smiles

"Elijah is not as bad as you make him out to be. He is unlike the rest" she says coming to stop at the book she wants as Damon moves in closer

"Now you sound like Katherine" he rolls his eyes

"Of all the terrible decisions Kat has made regarding men, this is by far the least. He cares about the people, he is the only one who even thinks of Caroline's happiness. He never would have done this to her" she says bitterly

"Is it really so bad? To be like us?" he asks as Elena turns around and sees him standing right in front of her, so close she could lean in and kiss him if she just moved her head a couple inches. His blue eyes bore down into hers.

"That is not what I meant" she says quietly "all I meant was that it should be a choice. Neither you or Stefan got to make it, and I just wish Caroline had been allowed to. This is not a life she would ever want"

"What about you?" he asks quietly, moving closer, lifting his hand to secure a loose curl behind her ear and then leaving it rest on her cheek

"I have not the slightest idea what I want right now" she says looking straight into his eyes "but I promise you shall be among the first to know once I do"

"I suppose that is a compromise I can accept in place of a real answer" he says, moving even closer, so close that his next words nearly brush against her lips "I can wait however long you want Elena, but eventually you will need to answer"

"I know" she says quietly, eyes focused on his lips and Damon can no longer control himself, he leans forward and captures her lips in his, feeling her freeze for a moment before molding hers to his, threading her hands into his hair she waits until she is breathless and then looks up at him with wide eyes

"We should not have- this- I- I" she stutters, turning to run the other direction but her skirt is trapped beneath her shoe and she goes plunging forward directly into the corner of the last shelf, tearing a nasty, bloody gash in her arm and snapping her ankle before she hits the ground

"Elena!" Damon calls out, trying to catch her but in to much of a daze from the kiss to have moved quickly enough, He kneels by her side as she whimpers quietly

"Doctor, I need a doctor please fetch him" she says through teary eyes, clutching her wounded arm

"I am not leaving you" Damon says, rolling up his sleeve and biting forcefully into his forearm. He offers it to her and is surprised when she latches on immediately and drinks in large, full swallows. He holds her and watches her expression as her arm quickly stitches itself together and her ankle twists out of the nasty contortion and back into its normal form

"It really is incredible" she breathes in surprise, bringing herself to a standing position and walking to test out her ankle before coming to a stop right in front of the large window- looking down the near hundred and fifty feet to the bottom

"I keep telling you it is not such a terrible thing" he smiles

"Oh, you never had to convince me of that, Mr. Salvatore" she smirks, pulling up her skirt to stand on the window bench, the one placed there to read and look out over the gardens.

"Elena?" he says, confused by her actions

The smirk already on the brunette beauty's face widens "guess again pretty boy" she laughs lightly, turning her back towards the window she throws out her arms and sends her body sailing, more gracefully than one might think, towards the ground.

"KATHERINE!" Damon yells, scrambling to catch her but he is too late and all he can do is watch as her body lands with a sickening, bone crunching, _fatal_ thud 150 feet below.

XXX

"How could you let this happen?!" Elijah yells angrily at Damon, emotions heightened by the fact that he is standing over the dead body of the woman he loves "why would you give her your blood?" he growls darkly, bearing down on the younger vampire, doing everything in his power not to decapitate him where he stands

"She got hurt" Damon says all to flippantly "I thought she was Elena"

"How can you claim to love a woman but not even know her when she walks into a room?" Elijah shakes his head, knowing that he never could have fallen for such a trick. Clearly that is why Katerina did not choose to try and trick him; there were easier victims around.

"Damon?" A soft, mortified voice says from behind the gentleman and everyone in the gardens can practically feel Damon's flinch as he steals himself before turning around, stepping out of the way to give Elena a clear view of her sister.

"No" Elena says with tears in her eyes "no this cannot be true, this is a cruel joke, please tell me this is not real" she yells hysterically, running to kneel beside her sisters corpse, grabbing her hand tightly.

"She is not gone" Elijah says quietly "not entirely at least"

Elena nods without looking up "I know, I heard everything" she says "Oh kat, what have you done?" she looks at her sister for several long moments, grieving the human life she might have had before standing up and looking to Elijah "we cannot leave her here lying on the ground in the open, it is not right"

Elijah and Damon both nod silently and the latter moves forward as if to pick her up but Elena's small hand catches his forearm "do not touch her" she spits at him

"allow me" Elijah says softly, scooping Katherine up in his arms he looks down at her, not entirely sure how he feels- or how he should feel as he carries her back into the palace.

XXX

"How much longer, do you think?" Caroline asks quietly, looking down at her friend

"Not long now" Klaus replies, unsure how to handle the situation he has found himself in- is he meant to comfort her? Does she even want that? Are Katherine's actions making her more angry at him for taking her choice away? So many questions swim through his head that he is unable to answer

"Why would she do this?" Elena says to no one in particular, Caroline is unsure how to respond, instead she looks around the room full of vampires and realizes Bonnie and Elena are the only humans in the entire room "I suppose she wanted to fit in" Caroline jokes, immediately regretting it "sorry, I am unsure how to react."

"She wanted to protect herself" Elijah says, unsure why he is defending Katerina's selfish actions "she did not like being weak and believed something very dangerous was coming"

"Why would she think that?" Caroline inquires, "Surely we have all been through enough there cannot possibly be anything worse yet to come?"

Klaus scoffs "Believe it or not sweetheart, there are worse evils in this world than my family and I"

"None that I have come across" she says without thinking, once again regretting her words "I am sorry" she says, and Klaus' heart contacts just a little when he sees that the words are directed with a glance at Elijah rather than him "that was unfair to say, you have all been more generous than necessary given the circumstances of our meeting"

"You had every right to say what you did Caroline. How could you possibly imagine a worse evil than us, my family and I have torn our way through this castle and this kingdom, leaving no one alive in our wake. We are monsters and you would all be better off if we had not come into your life" Elijah says miserably, staring at the lifeless face of the one he loves

"You are too hard on yourself" Elena jumps in "this was Katherine's decision, do not blame yourself for it. Elijah you have harmed no one in this house."

Elijah, Caroline, and Klaus all draw a breath in, about to fight each other for the right of the next words in this conversation, but none of them gets to speak.

The door opens and a terrified looking man in uniform walks into the room "forgive me highnesses, but we have just received word from across the seas-"

"Great what is it now" Damon rolls his eyes

"England has declared war on the mystic kingdom, 100 battleships are only days away from our borders and we have no idea what they might want, but each is armed with 500 men, a number capable of destroying our entire kingdom and everyone in it"

A collective gasp fills the room, and the voice that answers the soldier is one no one expected

"Well, I suppose I was right after all" Katherine smiles, standing slowly and walking over to the soldier "thank you for your service, but you know what they say about messengers" she smiles and sinks her newly acquired fangs viciously into the man's neck.


	20. Webs We Weave

Chapter 20:

Caroline's hand is gripping her tea cup so hard that she feels the moment the china bone cup finally gives under the pressure of her immortal strength and breaks in her hands, cutting her skin and drawing blood, if only momentarily. She looks down, having not felt it pierce her skin- it seems as though she has not been feeling a lot of things lately. The door to her chambers creaks slowly open and her head shakes

"This is not a good time Stefan, I need time to process everything" she says, waving her hands in a frustrated manner before looking up, eyes widening a bit in surprise before narrowing in anger "oh" she says pointedly "it is you"

Klaus raises an eyebrow, never quite able to keep up with her constant mood swings "I thought we should talk" he says simply, closing the door behind him

"About what?" she asks confusedly, now is hardly the time to be thinking of their relationship

"About how best to handle this impending _Lockwood_ situation" he says, more coldly than necessary

Caroline looks up at her husband in surprise "I assumed you would make that decision on your own" he raises an eyebrow at her, about to speak when she finishes with "just like everything else"

"This is hardly the time to be having a lovers spat, sweetheart. We have more pressing matters and we all need to assemble in the throne room to decide the best course of action."

"This is not a lovers spat. I hate you." She counters

"So you have said" he sighs, about to continue when Caroline stands up and begins to walk towards the door "where are you going?" he asks

"The throne room. I hate you. But I love this country".

XXX

Entering the throne room Caroline immediately notes that it is an interesting crowd assembled- Klaus and Elijah of course, Rebekah not entirely surprisingly- but no Kol; both Salvatore brothers stand tensely in the corner and Caroline is surprised Klaus invited them in.

"Where is Bonnie? We will need all the supernatural help we can get"

"She will be accounted for in our plans but we thought it best to limit voices for now" Elijah says before Klaus can, knowing the Queen will be more likely to accept the decision coming from him. She nods quietly

"We do not need a grand plan, it will be as it was at the wedding. Just let me speak to Tyler and it will be alright"

"Respectfully, this is not the same. The wedding was about love and it was a few ships, this is a fully declared war. Even if he wants to Tyler will not be able to return to England without either you or the colonization of the Mystic Kingdom" Stefan says "his father, his people will not allow it."

Caroline nods slowly "they need a queen or a country" she comes to the realization slowly, feeling immediately guilty. How can she sit in this room plotting against Tyler when he is doing all of this because he truly believes her to be in danger. She wrote him that letter. She is supposed to be with him. He is the prince, he is the hero. But so much has changed since she wrote that letter and she is starting to think there are no heroes or villains. Nobody sees themselves as the villain in their own story. To Klaus, her family is the villain's that stole his throne. To her, he is the villain that stole her parent's lives. And to Tyler, Klaus is the villain who stole his Queen.

"Do not worry Caroline, we will not let anything happen to you" Stefan says standing straight while Rebekah rolls her eyes

"god forbid" she says sarcastically

"Thank you Stefan" she says "but we all know what the solution is. When the first ship arrives in the harbor I will be waiting and I will go with him"

"over my dead body-" Klaus begins and is cut off

"Elijah" Caroline says quietly "promise to watch over my people. Do not let the Kingdom suffer for all of our mistakes"

"You do not have to do this Caroline" Elijah says "we can out power them. There is no reason to surrender"

"But there is. The amount of people that will die if this turns to an all out war. Us and them, nobody deserves that. I will not let innocents be slaughtered on my account." She says appealing to the rationals in the room before turning to face her best friend; "Besides, I loved Tyler once; there is no reason to believe I could not again. Perhaps we will be happy, so long as The Mystic Kingdom is in good hands I see no reason why I should not leave" she smiles at Stefan

"It really is the most sensible plan" Rebekah says, placing a comforting hand on Stefan's shoulder and Damon nods along in agreement.

"It just feels wrong to surrender" Stefan says quietly

Caroline laughs "if I have learned anything in the past year it is that sometimes the most right things feel the most wrong" the moment the words leave her lips a slow clap starts to fill the room. Caroline furrows her brow in confusion and turns to face the noise

"Oh very good love, truly inspiring. Your martyrdom is admirable" Klaus smiles "but" he raises a finger in her direction "I believe that my feelings for you may have lead to a misinterpretation of this past year. Because the _most_ important thing that you should have learned-" he begins to move closer towards her, eyes capturing hers and pinning her in place as he takes slow, meaningful steps towards her "is not to defy me" he says on a gentle tone that does not match the words he speaks. Klaus reaches his hand up to caress Caroline's cheek slowly, cupping her face gently in his hands as he continues speaking "you made a deal with me, love. It may be easy to forget because of my indulgence of your tantrums but make no mistake Caroline, you are mine and if you attempt to break that deal and leave this kingdom then I will be forced to retaliate." He leans in closer "you fear angering the wrong man my dear. I can assure you that if you get on that ship, your people will wish they had been stormed by 100 ships worth of men for the destruction that I will reign down" Caroline stands frozen in fear, every part of her body screaming to say something but her mouth unable to work.

"You will do not such thing Niklaus" Elijah says sternly, flashing to stand in front of Caroline and pushing his brother across the room so he hits the opposite wall with a crack that leaves the concrete crumbling "you of all people know the importance of this kingdom and what it means to everyone in this room"

Klaus shakes his head, brushing the dust off of himself and standing up "I also know the importance of keeping one's word." He turns to address the entire room "come up with a new plan."

"Niklaus you selfish brute, this is the _only_ plan!" Rebekah shouts

Klaus laughs without humor "you are so simple sometimes little sister. You are all idiots if you think this plan would work anyway. The prince of England will not want her anymore even if we did offer the girl on a silver platter" he turns to face Caroline who is looking at him with surprised, confused, and hurt eyes "do not look so shocked love. You were the one who said there was no use pretending creatures like us are capable of love. _Creatures like us_. Not like him. You are one of us now Caroline. No use pretending you are capable of giving your heart to Tyler, it will take him all of thirty seconds to realize what you are and rip it right out of your chest. "

"Leave us" Caroline says firmly, staring directly at Klaus

"Caroline no, I am not going to leave you when he is like this" Stefan says placing himself between the couple

Caroline feels her jaw tighten and she looks up with veins pulling down her face "GO" she growls and one by one the throne room begins to clear out. The second the door clicks behind Stefan- the last to leave of course- Caroline turns her fury toward her _husband._

"You are a coward Niklaus Mikaelson" Caroline shouts "you are nothing more than a dirty childish coward who is so afraid of his own damn feelings that he refuses to act like a normal human being for one bloody minute- and yes I realize the irony in that statement but that does not detract from my point!" she yells, cutting herself off before he can "I cannot tell if you hate me or yourself or if you love me or yourself or if it is some messed up psycho combination of both but life is not exactly easy right now for either of us and I am _not_ going to deal with your mood swings on top of everything else so I need you to make up your damn mind and tell me what exactly it is you want here instead of making ridiculous threats"

Klaus looks up at her with steely eyes "you are not allowed to leave me. You- you keep forgetting that you are not allowed to leave me" his voice breaks a little on the end of his sentence and despite every good sense in her body Caroline can feel her heart twinge just a little.

"I am not allowed?" she says in disbelief" No. You do not get to do that. You do not get to say things like that in that way. Stop trying to make me hate you so that you have an excuse when I do not want to be with you. You are such a coward-"

"Stop calling me that" Klaus growls

"Then stop acting like one" Caroline spits in his face, causing him to take a step backwards, surprised. She looks at the pain on his face and sighs, shaking her head "why do you have to make everything so hard for yourself?" she says raising her hand to her head in frustration "if you do not want me to leave then just say you do not want me to leave" she breathes "if you want me to stay, then man up and ask me to stay"

Klaus swallows hard, unsure how to handle the situation. No one has ever spoken to him this way, at least no one who is still alive. He feels his hand trying to reach out to her, trying to pull her into his arms and never let her go. He wants to tell her that he would fight 5 million ships worth of men if it meant he could keep her by his side. There are so many things he wants to do and say but he feels as though his own body is fighting him; refusing, as if out of some deeply engrained sense of self preservation, to be that open and vulnerable with another person. All he can muster up is a hand reaching desperately for hers and a single word, spoken so quietly it is barely audible _"Stay"_

XXX

"We have made excellent time your grace and should be coming up on the Mystic Kingdom within the next day and a half." Captain Saltzman informs Tyler

"Excellent, thank you Captain, how is the crew holding up?"

"Well" he answers quickly "eagerly awaiting your instruction for when we land. Many are concerned that they still do not know where you want them to attack"

Tyler sighs, looking up from the map in front of him "this is not a pillage captain, it is a rescue mission. I do not want them to _attack,_ the ships will dock in groups of ten at precise coordinates completely surrounding the kingdom so as to make escape impossible. From there I will take the first fleet into the castle to retrieve Caroline. If the Mikaelson's refuse to release her then and only then will we attack The Mystic Kingdom" Tyler says, almost as if it hurts him "I do not want to harm this place more than we have to. I spent many a summer here as a boy, I know these nobles, even some of the peasants." He looks down, gathering himself for a moment "I am fond of the citizens but I will stop at nothing to get my Caroline back"

Alaric nods "I understand" he says strongly but remains lingering in the center of the cabin

"If you have something else to say Captain, now is the time."

"Of course" he looks down "please forgive me for asking what I am about to, your grace. I know that it is not likely and I am sure that you know what you are doing, but what- well sir what if the Queen does not want to come with us"

The glass that Tyler was drinking from shatters in his hand as he speaks to the table "if Caroline will not come with us it is because she is being threatened." Then he looks up "if, however, I walk into that palace and she is of her own free will choosing that monster" the Prince squares his jaw and looks Alaric directly in the eye "then we will burn that entire pathetic kingdom to the ground and rebuild the newest English colony in its ashes"

XXX

"Here is what we know", Caroline says, addressing the room- and a full room it is. After preliminary planning was complete it was decided everyone needed to be informed- Stefan, Damon, Rebekah, Elena, Katherine, Bonnie, Kol, and Elijah all sit patiently around the throne room while the King and Queen give orders- "100 ships are docking, there are 10 possible places in the Mystic Kingdom at which one could forcefully dock such large ships. Knowing Tyler he will evenly spread those ships. This is an advantage for us, if we are smart and quick then a group of vampires could theoretically move from one ship to the next doing enough damage to send each one back to the seas while Tyler is in here trying to convince me to come with him"

"Our proposed plan is to split into 2 groups" Klaus breaks in "Elijah, Damon and Kol will take the north side of the island, Stefan, Rebekah, and Bonnie the south- I know Bonnie is not a vampire, but the combination of a ripper" Klaus glances up at Stefan momentarily, alluding to the fact that he is aware of his seedy past "and a witch should more than even the playing field of the other side having two originals. I will stay here with Caroline and fend of the fleet Lockwood will undoubtedly bring into the castle. The Kingdom's army will be divided and sent out to protect the capitol and surrounding villages to protect the people" he pauses a moment, everyone staring at him in shock or outrage "questions?"

The room explodes in a chorus of protests and inquiries "ok" Caroline breaks in "ok I know this is a lot, and obviously if anyone does not want to help you are not forced to. We will accommodate for anyone who wants to leave but if you do please go now" she pauses and when no one makes to leave the room she smiles a little "alright then lets take questions one at a time. Raise your hand if you have one"

Every hand in the room shoots up immediately and Caroline turns to Stefan first who clears his throat "I want to be on the same team as Damon. We've protected each other our entire lives, my head will not be in it if he is not there" Caroline can see Damon's raised hand lower and she laughs to herself internally

"I am sorry Stefan but we cannot. You and Elijah were very purposefully split up so as to ensure the least amount of English casualties. We want to send them back across the seas not to their graves, those young men are here on what they believe to be a noble mission and they do not deserve to die. If Rebekah, Kol and Damon are left without one of you two who knows how many will be slaughtered. With that and everyone's relative age taken into account this is the only way it makes sense". He nods, unhappy but accepting, as does Damon who wears the same insulted but unable to protest expression as Rebekah and Kol, who gets the next question.

"Switch Rebekah and I. I go where Bonnie goes"

"Kol I can handle myself" Bonnie rolls her eyes at him

"Again" Caroline says patiently "these groups have been made for a reason. Bonnie is able to slow down and incapacitate soldiers, meaning that not as much pure strength will be needed. Elijah, Damon, and you will have a tougher battle."

"are you calling me weak" Rebekah snarles

"Katherine, you are next" Caroline says, choosing to ignore the petulant original

"Which team am I on?"

"Neither, you will stay here in the upper chambers with Elena and the castle staff" Elijah breaks in immediately

"Like hell I will, you may all have forgotten but I am not a useless weak little human anymore! I have this insane blood lust let me satisfy it! I can help!"

"Trust me Katerina, none of us have forgotten" Elijah growls "the castle is going to be the target location we need someone strong here to protect the humans and frankly you are not disciplined enough yet to be out on that battlefield" he lectures

Katherine huffs but ultimately resigns with a pouty "fine"

Most of the hands have gone down and the room wears a steely expression of camaraderie, almost all appearing ready to dive in head first. Except one, "Elena the final question is yours" Caroline smiles

Elena takes a deep breath, clearly not entirely confident in what she is about to say "Care, have you considered… would it not be easier to simply give Tyler what he wants? Think of the lives we could save, possibly our own."

Caroline smiles sadly "of course I considered that 'Lena. I considered it more seriously than I would like everyone here to know, but I am not a bargaining chip. I am not a prize for Tyler and Klaus to fight over. Everything that I have done my entire life has been for the good of the people, _my_ people. This is our kingdom and we are not giving it up. I am sad to say it took a little while to realize this, but this battle is not for love, it is for The Mystic Kingdom; and surrender" she smiles ever so slightly in Klaus' direction "is not an option".


	21. One Fell Swoop

**Weirdly this chapter is actually lightly filler, just setting things up for when shit really hits the fan next chapter! I've already started writing it so enjoy this and look forward to that!**

21:

"Are you ready for this love?" Klaus asks carefully, placing a gentle hand on the small of Caroline's back in a subtle reminder that it is time to leave her sitting room as everyone will be taking their battle positions soon.

To his surprise she does not rebuke him or remove the hand, she just smiles sadly and nods her head "I do not believe I will ever be ready" she looks up at him, locking eyes in the familiar and all-consuming intimate way in which they always manage to find themselves no matter how much either party may want to deny it "but nevertheless it is time"

Klaus nods solemnly and the two glide together down the stairs towards the throne room where they find everyone else has already assembled.

"The first fleet is one hour out" Elijah informs the room and everyone nods

"You all know your places" Caroline confirms, getting a quiet assurance from the room, which has broken into groups to say their final words.

XXX

"See you on the other side brother" Damon says, clapping Stefan on the shoulder, holding his hand heavy on his little brother's jacket a moment longer than would be casual as they nod at each other.

"You as well. Do not do anything stupid, you still have an estate to inherit back in Italy. If you die father might kill you" Stefan laughs without humour

Damon rolls his eyes "I would say that I am no longer suitable to inherit a title but from the looks of it half the nobles on this continent are vampires"

Stefan is about to respond when Elena breaks in, not saying anything but managing to stop the conversation in its tracks simply by walking in their direction. They look at her warily and she smiles, not saying a word but moving to hug each of them individually, placing a soft kiss on their cheeks.

"We need to talk when you get back" she says to the brothers "so you had _better_ come back to me"

"Yes ma'am" Damon says with an exaggerated tip of his imaginary hat

"do not worry about us Elena, we will make it back. In one form or another the Salvatore brothers always make it back"

XXX

Bonnie, Kol , Klaus and Caroline all stand together, Caroline and Bonnie locked in an embrace "you do not have to do this, you know that right? Not for me. You have given so much for me already" Caroline says sadly into Bonnie's shoulder

"Caroline Forbes you are my family. I would do anything for you. I do not regret any of my decisions and I will not regret this one"

"I would greatly appreciate it if you could try not to get yourself killed" Klaus nods toward his youngest sibling

"I would echo your sentiments brother, but we both know that it would not be sincere" the two glare at each other for a few long moments before breaking out in simultaneous laughter

"Get out of here before I finish the English soldier's job myself" Kol gives him a wry smile, moving towards the two girls

"Ok Queenie I am going to need you to take a few steps back I believe it is my turn"

Caroline laughs "of course it is"

"Well I would tell you not to get killed like your brother did, but I think he is forgetting that you are all basically unkillable. Trust me, I have tried to find a way many times" Bonnie says coyly

Kol smirks "well I am flattered you spend so much time thinking about me darling"

Bonnie smiles, playfully hitting him "only you would take death threats as a compliment

"From you my dear, I will take whatever I can get"

Bonnie hooks her arms around his neck, moving up on her tip toes to kiss him, whispering in his ear "if everything goes well and you come back, I think you will be very happy with what you can get tonight"

XXX

"Are you really not going to say goodbye to me?" Katherine asks standing a few feet behind Elijah

"This is not the time to be having this conversation Katherine" Elijah says refusing to turn to her.

Katherine's eyes widen, him using her real name hits her like a punch to the stomach "what if there is no other time?" she asks

"Do not be dramatic, I am very difficult to kill and you are going to be safely in a tower with all the humans" he turns to her now, adjusting his jacket "so congratulations Katherine, you betrayed me and threw away your life and still remain unable to protect yourself or anyone else"

"How dare you" Katherine glares at him "I do not regret what I did, I do not regret it for a second because even if I cannot protect anyone right now, I will be able to one day. I will be stronger than Stefan and Damon and every other weak, pathetic love struck idiot in this castle. You have my promise of that. So I am sorry if I hurt your feelings Elijah, but I asked you to do this for me and you were so appalled by the thought of spending forever with me that you could not do it. Well you can stop being mad and calm down because trust me, I did this for me and only me."

"I never said-"

"Elena!" Katherine screams from across the room "Let us go upstairs with all the other weak useless people" she yells extending her arms dramatically

"You are being ridic-" Elijah begins but is cut off

"No" she glares at him "I am not." Katherine storms across the room, grabs her sister by the wrist and leaves.

XXX

Klaus and Caroline sit beside each other on the golden thrones in the center room of the palace, arms rested on ornately carved wooden rests, hands inches from grasping each other but never quite connecting. Sitting in the same completely silent, statue still position that they have been for the past hour. Waiting for… waiting for whatever this situation will bring.

Caroline's breath catches in her throat as a faint roar is heard in the distance, screams penetrating from the far off coastline of the Mystic Kingdom. Her head snaps towards her husband and she sees his blue eyes already staring into hers.

"No turning back now, love"

Caroline laughs, though the sound is slightly strangled by the fear in her throat "I think we made that decision some time ago".

The sounds of heavy boots on wood a few floors away jolts Caroline's spine straight and Klaus closes the gap between their hands, grasping hers tightly in his "hey" he says quietly, catching her eyes "hey it is ok. I am here. You are safe, no one is going to hurt you, I will not let them"

Caroline nods her head with wide eyes "thank you" she says, not even sure what she is thanking him for.

The footsteps start to draw closer and there is the telltale click of the metal door handle.

For everything that has gone into this moment, all of the planning and the strategizing on both sides; the resources, the pain, the emotional distress, the actual moment is inordinately underwhelming, Tyler walks into the room alone, catching both of the royals' eyes and moving forward to stand in front of them.

"I really did not want it to happen this way" he says sadly, looking at Caroline "I have never been happier in my life than when you wrote to say you were coming back to England. When you did not arrive I assumed you were being kept hostage. However, by the _hostile_ greeting my men and I received from your closest friends and the united front you present before me with this _monster_ I am going to assume that I was incorrect"

"I am so sorry Tyler. I never wanted it to happen this way either. Believe me" Caroline says sadly, not moving from her chair

The English Prince nods slowly "I had to hear it from you. I had to get confirmation. I loved you Caroline Forbes. I would have given you the world. Literally. Now you leave me with no choice" he says, removing the rifle strapped across his back and firing a single shot through the ceiling of their throne room. Before Caroline or Klaus can move an army of over 100 men breaks down the door to the throne room and marches forward.

Caroline feels Klaus tense beside her, watching his fangs slowly slip from his gums "do not kill Tyler" she whispers, he turns towards her, eyes clearly not agreeing with her. She takes a deep breath "we can start over. Everything you have ever done. I will forget it. I will forgive you and forget every horrible thing you have ever done if you let him live"

Klaus nods "stay in that chair unless you are absolutely needed. Until I call for you. Do. Not. Move. And I will consider it"

She nods and Klaus rips into the mass of soldiers in front of him.

XXX

Kol rips his head out of the neck of yet another soldier, dropping the limp body to the ground he points to a terrified deck hand who cannot be more than 12 or 13 and crooks his finger. "Boy. Come here" the boy slowly walks toward him, petrified but held straight. Kol respects the courage and grins a bloody smile

"Do you know how to navigate this ship?" he asks menacingly

the boy nods slowly "my papa was a captain, taught me everything he knew"

"Good. If you value your life I suggest grabbing someone who can steer and turning this ship back towards England. I am going to leave this ship now and if I do not see the tail end of it sailing away from me in 3 minuets then I am going to return with a few friends and there will not be a live soul left on this boat do you understand me" the terrified young boy nods "good. Clock starts now kid" he says throwing himself over the edge of the boat.

Kol is repeating what all of the defenders of Mystic Falls have been doing, kill, send the ship packing, jump off, repeat. They moved even faster than anticipated, however and now were having to swim farther out, catching round after round of ships. It had been hours but they were almost done, and if the other side was doing as well as them, they could all be back in the palace by dinner time.

XXX

Stefan looked up at the ship he had just managed to turn around only to see Rebekah standing at the top of one that was crashing directly into rocks, soldiers jumped into the icy water swimming towards the boat that he had just turned. He laughed lightly, finding Rebekah's inability to turn this particular ship around weirdly amusing. He looks back towards where Bonnie is standing on a tall rock, hands raised out, whispering in Latin. She manages to paralyze or weaken the crew of each ship before Stefan or Rebekah jump up

"well that was my last one" Rebekah shouts at Stefan

"Same, we should check on the others"

XXX

"What the bloody hell are you doing all the way out here?" Rebekah yells at her brothers, having forced one of the ships to steer her to between the ships Kol and Elijah are on

"Why wait for them to get to shore when we could swim out here and turn them around at sea" Kol smiles

"You are an absolute idiot" Rebekah sighs "either kill the whole ship or compel the captain to tell the ones out here to turn back when they go back"

Kol and Elijah both look at her, clearly having not thought of that "honestly, use your heads boys" she rolls her eyes and turns to the man steering her ship, looking directly in his eyes "go back to England. Make every British ship you see turn around immediately" she compels before jumping back into the water and swimming to shore.

Not 15 minuets later Rebekah, Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Elijah, and Kol all sit on the shore, staring out at the ships retreating and the wreckage they have caused. Rebekah smiles "well I would say we just sit here for an hour or so, ensure they all disappear soundly, take out any straggling heroes and we have won" they all smile up at her.

XXX

"Stop showing off and let me help!" Caroline screams from her chair, looking at Klaus who has wooden stakes sticking out from nearly every part of his body, the soldiers have not pulled a riffle once, meaning all her suspicions were correct and Tyler knows.

"we have a deal sweetheart" Klaus grins through the blood, referring to the fact that Tyler ran off near the beginning of the battle and Klaus did not chase him.

Almost all of the British soldiers have either been killed or fleed by this point, Klaus has stood in front of her throne and killed each soldier as they tried to come for her. His twisted sense of chivalry is annoying. She can handle herself!

Klaus kicks one of the soldiers, snapping the stake in his hand directly in half and looks around the room. Only about 10 remain and almost all of their weapons have been removed. A few injured soldiers remain on the floor bleeding out. Klaus looks down, trying to shake the stake's from his arms, he breathes out heavily "alright love" he pants, wincing in pain "take out the trash"

Before the words have even left his mouth, Caroline has barreled into one of the soldiers walking towards her husband, she snaps his neck like a twig and can feel her fangs elongate out of her gums as she lunges for the next one.

XXX

"This feels a little morbid can we at least switch rooms" Caroline says looking around the blood stained throne room full of bodies.

"Of course" Klaus nods his head "You go into the salon, I am going to go out to the village house we have the servants staying in, bring them back, start this clean up and have some champagne brought up for when the others arrive because tonight" he kisses her on the cheek "we deserve to celebrate"

As Klaus leaves the room Caroline smiles, and she knows how wrong that is. She knows that killing soldiers and sending Tyler home defeated are not things that should make her happy. And they are not, but… _Tyler is going home._ Klaus had not killed him. He showed mercy. He did it for her, there just might be the tiniest little sliver of humanity left in that man yet.

XXX

"You did it!" Elena shrieks, throwing her arms around Caroline

"In truth I did very little" Caroline smiles, accepting a passing glass of champagne "everyone else saved me and our entire kingdom" she smiles

"You were more brave than any of us" Stefan breaks in, embracing his friend "it cannot have been easy to face Tyler the way you did"

Caroline smiles "thank you Stefan. I still have no idea where he went, he must have managed to get on a fleeing ship"

"Well I for one am not going to miss Prince Lockloser" Damon breaks in "and blondie is right, the rest of us were the real heroes"

"This truly was a team effort, all participants were absolutely vital"

"well except Kol, idiot forgot he had the power of compulsion" Rebekah scoffs

"You know how I love a good kill, why complicate it with all that mind control nonsense" he grins

Everyone turns when the sound of fabric shuffling enters the room "what?" Katherine asks opening the curtain "it is so dark in here, the sunset is beautiful, enjoy some light" she says, covering the fact that she only moved the curtain because she was going crazy not knowing where to stand, not wanting to be near Elijah, but also desperately not wanting to be _not_ near him.

They all nod their heads knowingly and Katherine rolls her eyes "just celebrate that none of us died"

The room bursts into fits of laughter from every occupant.

Unfortunately that relaxed, easily, victorious sound is interrupted by a loud, low, growling sound from outside the salon door.

"what the hell?" Caroline asks, stepping closer to the door, feeling Klaus' hand grab her arm a moment to late because the next thing that happens, happens in the blink of an eye.

The door bursts open and a giant, dark wolf with terrifyingly familiar brown eyes knocks Caroline down, paws pinning her shoulders. She can feel its hot breath on her skin for just a seconds, hears herself cry out, and then there are sharp, venomous teeth buried in her neck.

The entire room stands still, backing as far from the creature as possible. Except for Klaus. Klaus who jumps immediately after it, thrusting his outstretched fist directly at its mouth in a futile attempt to stop a bite that has already happened. Failing to protect Caroline and getting himself bitten in one fell swoop. Before anyone else has a chance to release the breath they are holding, the wolf is gone.


	22. Sacrifice Your Life

**Full warning, I have taken some creative license with cannon facts for the purposes of the next few chapters, bare with me and feel free to ask any questions you have, I have it all very clearly and logically mapped out in my head but idk if it translates full so I'm happy to connect any missing dots!**

Chapter 22

"It _is_ true" Caroline breathes out quietly turning to face Bonnie

"What is true?!" Elena panics, running toward her friend, trying to hold her but she is quickly stopped by a terrifying growl from the man already cradling the fallen Queen in his arms.

"The wolf" Bonnie breaks in "it was Tyler"

"WHAT?" Damon, Stefan, Katherine, and Elena all yell out in near terrifying unison

"you do not look surprised" Caroline says quietly looking up at her king

"Few things surprise me or my siblings anymore sweetheart. I like to know my enemies" he says softly, tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear

Caroline nods slowly, disentangling herself from Klaus and allowing him to help her stand

"So then you all know of the legend" Bonnie says looking to Elijah, Kol, Rebekah and Klaus in turn

Elijah clears his throat "we do, but I see no reason to jump to the worst just yet"

Klaus glowers in the direction of the witch "everyone knows that legend is nothing more than pathetic fear mongering from the wolves to try and intimidate us"

"What is the legend?" Stefan asks stiffly, noticing the fear in Caroline's eyes and knowing she will not ask herself

Bonnie casts a glance at her friend and takes a deep breath "nature demands a balance in everything-" she begins but is cut off

"Must we even discuss this preposterous lie" Klaus grumbles

"Yes" Katherine cute in "if only to sate my curiosity" she shrugs

"When vampires were created, the witches were displeased that a being existed who could escape death, so they turned to a supernatural bing that they had already created, the lycanthropes, to hunt Vampires, and so that they could do this, they… well, they, um" Bonnie flounders, unable to finish the story with her friend's terrified eyes trained directly on her

"They gave the wolves the ability to kill a vampire with a single bite" Elijah breaks in, calm and collected as ever, even as the room erupts in a series of shocked and terrified gasps

"But it is not true" Klaus breaks in yet again, growing frustrated "see look, I was bitten as well but my hand has already almost healed. This discussion is over" he growls, showing his barely pink fist to the group.

"If the conversation is over then why is Blondie still bleeding like a virgin on her wedding night?" Damon breaks in with his usual sarcastic tone.

The entire room turns to look at Caroline just as she slowly brings her hand up to her neck and pulls it away to see dark red blood coating her fingers. A strangled, breathy sound of fear escapes her mouth before she manages to pull herself together and address the room "how impressive it would be for the history books to know that the last Queen of the Forbes line died twice before her 18th birthday" she laughs

"Do. Not." Klaus shoots daggers at her from across the room "do not speak of that. It is a larger wound. You are a younger vampire. It is taking longer to heal and that is all" he grits out

Caroline shakes her head sadly "perhaps" she says to humor him "if you would all excuse me, I think it may heal faster if I can lay down" she says, walking weakly towards the door

Klaus stops her as she passes him, fitting a hand around her waist he gently presses a kiss to her forehead and hooks an arm behind her knees to lift her into his arms "allow me" he says quietly, looking into her eyes deeply and pretending not to notice the fear in them.

XXX

"Why did Niklaus heal and not Caroline?" Elijah asks in a hushed voice, careful not to alert any of the vampires in the castle that he and Bonnie have taken to the East library in an attempt to research more about this fabled curse afflicting their Queen

"I wish I knew" Bonnie sighs "It is not as though I have a coven to turn to for answers, I surely know less than you do"

Elijah nods "Caroline cannot die" he says with determination

"I was unaware you cared so much for the Queen"

"I care for my brother, and I know what losing her would do to him. And what he would then do to every human in sight. For the sake of this kingdom, Caroline Forbes must live"

"For more reasons than one" Bonnie agrees, looking down at the grimoire in front of her, the only one she has, the one her gran left her before she passed away.

Several hours pass in dark silence as the two quietly spill over history texts and spell books "I think I found something" Bonnie says quietly, unsure and unhappy; Elijah stands immediately, motioning for her to continue. "The spell that created lycanthropes is complex, but the cure and our explanation might be one and the same" she looks up "but none of you are going to like it"

"I assure you my family has been through worse than what you may have to tell us. We will endure"

"Okay" Bonnie says "then I need you to get me a vial of Klaus' blood to be sure"

Elijah raises an eyebrow but does not question her.

XXX

"Absolutely not" Klaus glares at his brother "I refuse to indulge you and the witch's ridiculous search for a cure to something that is not even a threat"

"Brother it has been several hours and Caroline is not healing. From what Katerina has told me she grows weaker by the hour. I do not have time for your delusions or attempts to will away the very real problem in front of us. If we are wrong, then you are short a pint of blood and nothing else, but" Elijah looks at his brother, clasping a hand on his shoulder "if we are right, and you refuse this request then Caroline's death may be on your hands. Again."

Klaus takes a breath as if about to refute, but then casts a worried glance towards the shut door in front of them and he nods, breathing out heavily before biting into his writs and dropping the blood into he glass container Elijah hold out in front of him

XXX

"What did you want to talk to us about, together?" Stefan asks the brunette beauty in front of he and his brother

"Surely even you are not that dull brother- best friend possibly on her death bed and the girl asks to talk to her lovers?" Damon shakes his head at his brother and turns to the lady in front of them "you have made your decision, Lady Elena"

She nods silently "seeing everything that Caroline has gone through and now this… it, clarified some things for me" the brothers in front of her hang on her every word, nodding slowly "it made me realize, what I want" the words come out tightly and slightly restricted, as though it pains her to say what she is about to "and what I want, is a normal life. A life without vampires or werewolves or witches. A life with a husband and children and a family and stupid balls and society events. I- I want to live."

"I do not care" Damon bursts out, standing to move in front of her "I have never asked you to choose this life. I am happy to be with you as a human. Please, I can give you all of that Elena, we can be married and live in the family estate in Italy and you can be a marquees. You do not have to change anything" he says, placing his forhead against hers, pulling her close to him

"You cannot give her everything she wants Damon" Stefan breaks in, earning a glare from his brother "and neither can I" he says sadly "Maybe for a few year, but what happens when people start asking questions? When we do not age but she does, when we have to leave to avoid suspicion? Then what? You drag her away from her home and life again, force her to waste her entire human life following you as you re-invent yourself around the globe every 10 years. We cannot give her children, we cannot give her stability. We cannot give her anything she wants and it is selfish of you to try and convince her otherwise" he says bitterly "she wants to live, and we are dead"

Elena swallows hard "I am so sorry" she says quietly "for what it is worth, I truly do love you both. With all my heart, but we need to let each other go"

"No-" Damon starts but Elena cuts him off almost immediately

"I am going to see Caroline, I want to be there if these are her final hours. We can discuss this more later if you require" she says and exits the room.

XXX

Elijah looks up to see the clock striking 11; Caroline has been slowly deteriorating for 5 hours now.

"Oh no" Bonnie says quietly, speaking in English for the first time in an hour

"What is it" Elijah inquires uneasily

"I was right" she says, looking up from the blood covered grimoire

"Is that not a good thing?" he asks

"No." Bonnie rubs her temples "gather everyone. The royals of this kingdom have a decision to make. One that must be made _quickly"._

Once everyone is assembled in the throne room- everyone except Caroline that is. Bonnie steps forward "we have almost no time to make this decision and so I do not have time to sugar coat anything that I am about to say. I am sorry for the secrets I am about to reveal and I am sorry that this decision must be made but if you want to be angry with me you can do so tomorrow. We have not the time tonight"

"Understood" Elijah says, looking pointedly at his siblings

"Klaus is not the son of Mikael, the original witch had an affair with a werewolf and Klaus is the result of that. Making him half vampire and half werewolf. She did not want him to be able to access his wolf side though, so she created yet another supernatural being to bind his wolf side. A doppelganger. Or rather, 2 doppelgangers, a set of eerily identical twins from a prominent noble family in the kingdom who would be born every hundred years so long as their line continues. Klaus healed from the bite tonight because he has werewolf blood in him, making him immune-"

"I do not care about any of this" Klaus breaks in angrily "it is of no importance, how do we heal Caroline?"

"Oh so now we are admitting something is wrong with her" Damon rolls his eyes

"mind your tongue or I will rip it out"

"I was getting to that" Bonnie says with authority, drawing the attention back to her "in order for Caroline to be healed, Klaus needs to unlock his werewolf side and then feed her his blood. Without it she will die before sunrise"

"So we unlock the wolf" Stefan says calmly

"Well that is the problem" Bonnie says quietly "the ceremony will only work if Klaus sacrifices one of the doppelganger's under a full moon at midnight"

"tonight is a full moon, that is the only reason Tyler was a wolf at all" Rebekah breaks in

"It is also 11:30" Bonnie says quietly

"there is no way we can find the doppelganger's in half of an hour" Kol says

"That is the decision that needs to be made" Bonnie says looking at the ground, not wanting to say the next words but knowing she has to "the doppelganger's were created to be the children of the noble family closest to the Forbes as punishment for their part in the uprising that dethroned the Mikaelson's. The _Pierce_ doppelganger's are standing in this room, but only one of them is still human"

The entire room draws in a collective breath, turning to look at Elena who stands in petrified fear "in order for Caroline to live through the night, Elena cannot" Bonnie says solemnly

Before anyone has time to fully process her statement Klaus has already darted across the room, rendering Elena immobile, about to flash out of the room with her when Elijah's voice stops him

"She will never forgive you" Klaus stops in his tracks "if you kill her friend before we even have a chance to discuss the matter, Caroline will _never_ forgive you"

"Maybe so" Klaus says, removing one hand from Elena to snap Damon Salvatore's neck as he tries to play night in shining armor "but she will be alive"

"Oh my god" Katherine says quietly, sounding completely and utterly destroyed "I have ruined everything. I wanted to be a vampire. If I had just waited we could have fed me blood and sacrificed me oh my god" she grabs at her hair as if attempting to rip it from her skull

"Perhaps this will be a lesson against partaking is such reckless and selfish actions in the future" Elijah says harshly

Elena laughs, like full on, head back laughs and the entire room looks at her as though she is crazy "I am sorry" she says "I am sorry but this is too much. I just, I mean literally _just_ told Stefan and Damon how much I want to live a human life, how much I did not want to be caught up in this supernatural drama and now I find out that not only was I _born_ a part of it, but in order to stay human I have to give up 3 of the people I love the most in the world and leave the kingdom I grew up in without a Queen" she laughs again "the universe does not want me to be human. It is absolutely refusing to allow me to make this decision by myself" she shakes her head "because really, there is not a decision- is there?" she looks at Bonnie, Katherine and Stefan "I mean, it is _Caroline"._

"Elena you do not have to do this" Bonnie says

"No" Elena says sadly "I do". She casts a sad look towards Damon's unconscious body "Stefan" she says, stepping out of Klaus' grip "you accepted my decision when I said I did not want this. You respected what I wanted. I want it to be your blood that turns me" she says, head up strong, sure of her decision.


	23. You Already Have

Chapter 23

Elena can feel the heat emanating from the flames that encircle her, warming her skin even though she feels like ice on the inside. Her eyes warily follow Bonnie and Klaus as they stand tense at the creepy fire lit alter a few feet away. Bonnie's grimoire is open and she stands completely still, afraid to move, afraid to start.

Klaus looks up at the moon as it rises higher into the sky, only minuets from reaching its apex "I believe it is time to begin" he says impatiently, not feeling the sympathy for Elena that the rest of the castle is. There is a sort of appreciation he feels, it is the first time he has had any sort of respect for the girl since meeting her. Loyalty is something he can appreciate, but it is not a sacrifice in his mind; why anyone would not want to be a vampire is beyond his understanding.

Bonnie only nods, casting a brief, apologetic glance towards Elena before lowering her eyes to the book as she begins speaking in Latin.

The flames surrounding Elena grow higher and Klaus feels his chest tighten and his whole body starts to become enveloped with a gentle tingling sensation before Bonnie stops speaking and the flames lower.

"Elena" Bonnie says gently, motioning for her to come up to the alter. Elena moves slowly, her skirts shuffling against the ground. Klaus can feel her heart racing out of her chest.

He extends his hand like a gentleman "it does not hurt" he assures her

Elena glares at him, ignoring his hand but moving to stand in front of the alter "I will be surprised if it does not, all you know how to do is hurt people"

"I do not want to hurt her", he says, moving behind Elena, preparing to begin.

"You already have" she says with a quiet strength "more than you will ever know. She is not the same person anymore"

"no" Klaus admits, seeing Bonnie give him the signal "she is better, and now you will be too" he says, sinking his fangs into her neck, feeling the pleasure of fresh hot human blood flowing down his throat mixed with something else, something better, something stronger and more powerful. He can feel white hot power flowing through his veins like an electric current, bouncing around inside of him and then- nothing.

Nothing for a split second as Elena's body drops to the ground, but as soon as it hits the dirt he feels every muscle in his body contract painfully, he yells out in pain, looking up at Bonnie with fangs bared, eyes bloodshot, every inch of his body pulsing and contracting like a feral animal- a wolf.

"You cannot change" Bonnie says urgently "you will not be able to change back in time. You have to give me some blood first if you want to save her"

"I cannot stop it" he growls, claws ripping their way through the flesh of his hands, he grabs his head, trying desperately with every fiber of his being to stop the transformation.

"You have to. You have to or Caroline is going to die"

Her name ignites something in him, he breathes deep, fighting off the need to release his inner wolf, physically breaking his bones over and over to stop them from contorting. He flashes over to the witch, biting viciously into his wrist, hitting the artery in hopes that the blood loss will slow down the strength of the transformation as well as provide enough to heal his Queen.

Bonnie hurries to hold out a large crystal goblet, collecting as much of the liquid that will save her best friend's life. Once she has filled the glass with more than enough blood she looks at Klaus, making eye contact with the wolf she nods "that is enough. You can let go now" the second he knows that Caroline will be safe Klaus can feel his body give out, no longer having a reason to hold back he shifts in minuets, and then all that Bonnie can see is a large wolf retreating into the woods.

XXX

Katherine sits quietly in the corner of an unconscious Caroline's room with Stefan on the other side, having angrily kicked everyone else out. Nobody else deserves to be in here. Nobody else knows her or cares about her the way they do. Except for Bonnie and Elena of course, but they are… _otherwise engaged._

"I am sorry, about Elena" Katherine says quietly "I know how you feel about her and I know she never would have wanted this"

Stefan nods "It is not your fault, Tyler bit Caroline not you"

Katherine scoffs "try telling that to everyone else. I wanted to be a vampire. I wanted this life and I took it. I took what I wanted just like I always do. If I had not then Elena would still be alive and delicate and boring as ever. Instead she dies, just like the rest of us."

"You could not have seen this coming, Katherine. You are selfish and you always have been, but you are not responsible for this"

She nods "Is it so wrong?" she asks "is it really the worst thing in the entire world to know what you want and to take it"

"It is when you have to hurt other people to get it"

Katherine scoffs "I would hardly consider Damon 'people'"

Stefan laughs "well I do not disagree with you there, but I think we both know I was not referring to Damon"

She sighs "Elijah will be better off if he hates me"

Before Stefan can respond the door swings open and Bonnie walks in carrying a goblet filled to the brim with crimson liquid

"It worked" Katherine breathes out in relief

"Wake her up" Bonnie commands and Stefan stands immediately, gently shaking Caroline awake

"what?" she asks groggily "what is wrong" she rasps, voice weak

"nothing" Bonnie says quietly "nothing is wrong, everything is fine. Just drink this" she says tipping the cup to Caroline's mouth.

The Queen sips cautiously at first, then gulps the liquid down in greedy mouthfuls until nothing is left. Bonnie watches the wound on her neck slowly knit itself back together. She breathes a sigh of relief and Caroline lets out a small, tired but strong sound

"shh" Bonnie says quietly "sleep your majesty, you need to rest". Caroline nods slowly and lets her body rest back against the large bed.

XXX

"No" Caroline says, tears brimming in her eyes "no that cannot be true. Please tell me she did not do it, Elena did not want this, She never wanted this life"

"She wanted to" Bonnie says softly "she wanted to do it, she wanted to save you"

"But I did not want her to!" Caroline cries "everyone has sacrificed too much for me"

"Everyone has done what they had to do because they love you and they love this kingdom. Feeling guilty about this will not help anyone. It will not help Elena and it certainly will not help the Mystic Kingdom. We have a monster for a king, the only thing protecting this Kingdom is you and everyone knows it! People sacrifice for you because they love you yes, but also because they know that you are the Queen this kingdom needs. Caroline, we believe in you"

"I am not so sure I am worthy of the trust that everyone puts in me. Sometimes I just feel so young and unprepared, like a child playing dress up in my dead mother's clothing"

"you are so much stronger than you know Caroline" Bonnie smiles, pulling her into a tight hug, speaking against her hair "you have handled this past year with so much strength and grace, you have persevered through worst case scenario after worse case scenario and through it all you put the kingdom first. You put the people first, and that is what matters. You have lost so much, sacrificed so much. It was Elena's turn"

"It should never have to be anyone's turn" Caroline says softly "how is she? Has she woken up yet?"

Bonnie nods again "she woke up a few hours after you fell asleep. She has not hurt anyone so she is ok. I gave her a goblet of my own blood to complete the transition and Stefan is teaching her to hunt animals as he does. They are out right now. She is handling it better than we expected"

"Thank goodness" she says "I want to see her when she is up to it."

"Of course, as soon as she is back"

"What about Klaus, how is he… handling everything?"

Bonnie clears her throat, looking away "well that is the thing, no one has seen him since last night. He changed and then just… ran off into the woods and none of us know when, or if, he will be back"

"He will be back" Caroline says confidently "it might take some time, but he will be back"

"Unfortunately" Bonnie rolls her eyes

"He is not all bad" Caroline says quietly "well, I mean, yeah… he is, he is absolutely all bad, but lately it seems like he is bad for good reasons"

"I have to admit, he did almost kill himself trying to fight off the transformation to get the blood for you"

"He cares, in his own twisted, possessive, completely messed up way, he cares"

"I believe that" Bonnie agrees "to the absolute best of his ability, he cares"

XXX

"It does not have to be all bad" Stefan says as he and Elena walk back towards the castle "I know this is not what you wanted, but in my experience it is… _manageable"_

"I know" Elena says quietly "I never thought that it was all bad, I see all of you living and being happy, it was not that I thought being a vampire would be miserable. I just wanted a normal life. I really wanted a family and as strange as it may sound, I _wanted_ to grow old, with someone I cared about."

"you still can" Stefan says "it might not be exactly the way you pictured it, but you can still have a life. Fall in love, travel the world, grow old in soul if not body"

Elena nods "I do not regret my decision. If faced with it 100 times I would do the same thing 100 times, but I am not quite ready to revel in the glory of being a vampire"

"I understand" Stefan says, and he does "it took me a long time to come to terms with what happened to me. Take all the time you need, I will be here if you need help"

"Thank you" she says

"And Elena" he calls out

"Yes?" she turns around to face him

"You should go see Caroline, if you feel up to it"

she nods "of course, where do you think I am going right now" she says, walking ahead of him into the castle

XXX

Caroline feels too guilty to say anything when she sees Elena walk in the door to her bedroom, tears fall quietly down her cheeks and she stand to wrap her friend in a tight embrace. The two girls stand like that for several moments; wrapped together, tears falling, breathing heavily, unsure what to say.

Elena is the first to speak "I am so glad that you are ok Caroline"

"All because of you" she says quietly "I am so sorry 'Lena"

"shh, shh no you have nothing to apologize for. I would do it again in a heartbeat and I know that you would have done it for me" she says, still holding her close

"Of course, of course I would. I would do anything for you Elena, I am just so sorry that everyone is suffering because of me"

"No one is suffering because of you Caroline. It is all because of _them"_ she says venomously "everything bad that has happened in our lives is because of them and we cannot even think about blaming ourselves or each other. We are all dead because of them, there was a war because of them, your parents are gone because of them"

"Tyler may have some responsibility in all of this as well" Caroline nods solemnly

"absolute scum" Elena agrees "I am just so sick of all these pathetic, violent display's of fragile masculinity. Caroline, we need to take this kingdom back. You, me, Bonnie, and Katherine. We are strong now. These men have proven themselves unfit to rule. You are the Queen, the one true ruler of the Mystic Kingdom and it is time everyone knows it"

Caroline looks up at her friend in shock, this is so not Elena, Elena is perfect. She is obedient and quiet and sweet and always does exactly as a proper lady is meant to do. That is who Elena Pierce is. Or is it? Has she been hiding away who she really is all these years? Forced to obey what everyone tells her. Sometimes death can be freeing, Caroline decides. And perhaps all of their deaths can free the kingdom.

"So, what do you propose?"

XXX

The first thing Klaus feels when he awakens is grass, soft green grass that seems to cradle his bare skin in a strangely comforting way. He props himself up on his elbows, noticing for the first time that he has elbows, and hands and 2 legs. He is back, back to reality. He looks up to the sky, seeing the sun hang low and deduces that he can change at will.

 _That will come in handy_ he thinks, unable to deny his elation at this newfound power. He is the most powerful creature on the planet now, officially. There is no one who could dare challenge him. No one who could take what is his, who could hurt what is his ever again.

Laying in the grass Klaus feels more at peace than he has in over a century, being his wolf self was more euphoric than he could have ever guessed. He ran and hunted and everything was so heightened. Every thought was stronger, every image brighter. The world became art before his very eyes. And yet, even as a beast (well, a different kind of beast) there was one clear picture that kept flashing through his thoughts, one angel that danced relentlessly through his mind.

This realization brings him back to reality, back to worry and grief and fear. Feelings he never got as a wolf. He is very much afraid in this moment, however, afraid of what he will find when he returns to the castle. A single word escapes his strangled throat before he pulls himself out of the grass and darts at the speed of a bullet towards the castle; "Caroline".


	24. Behind Closed Doors

Hello friends, what a beautiful time to be a klaroline fan, isn't it? Anyway here is a new chapter, also I posted a new story because what else would I do with my time? It's a re-write of the original village from "ordinary people" but spoiler, the originals aren't the only one's who moved to MF from the old world. So I'd love you guys to check that out if you get the chance, but either way enjoy this lovely filler chapter (sorry)

Chapter 24

"I must say that I am surprised such a plan has come from my perfectly obedient little sister" Katherine smirks into her tea

Elena scowls at her, not in the mood to politely nod as her sister insults her "I am 6 minuets younger than you Katherine. Besides, I followed the rules because I wanted to live in the society that created them, I wanted everything a human woman wants so I behaved as a proper human woman" Elena retorts "I am no longer human, I will never get the things I once yearned for. I no longer have a reason to follow anyone's rules except my own"

Katherine raises her eyebrows "who would have thought you could be fun 'Lena?"

"Who would have thought I would be dead?" she responds dully

"We could be joined by male company at any time ladies, do you really want to spend the precious moments we get to ourselves bickering?" Caroline breaks in

"No" Elena says "you are right, so… what is the plan?"

Caroline smiles "I thought you would never ask. The way I see it, we have 3 major obstacles right now- England, the people, and the men we all seem to be unable to shake. England is difficult but straight forward. We need to send the message that we are an independent nation and have no ties to them beyond trade."

"How exactly are we going to send that message?" Katherine asks "if you recall, the last time you tried to become independent you almost died"

"Yeah and I actually did. We are all aware" Elena sneers

"okay, touchy" Katherine drawls

"Let her finish" Bonnie breaks in "just stop fighting for one minute and let Caroline lay out all that needs to be done before we argue over how to do it"

Caroline nods her appreciation to Bonnie and continues "now the people, they are afraid. The castle has been closed off without communication since my coronation, English blood ran through their fishing paths and war ships descended upon them and then turned around just as quickly. Rumors are spreading and trust in the crown is low. That is a trickier fix" she continues sadly, "and our final problem is what may stop us from properly handling the first two, there is a group of men who wrongly believe they are in charge of this country, a King who will murder all of England for revenge and who does not care at all for the welfare of the people. His brothers support him no matter how noble they may seem. The Salvatore's will not try to take power but I fear they underestimate our abilities. We have no need of their protection and any traditional gentleman trying to protect sensibilities we no longer have can only weaken us"

"So, Klaus, Elijah and Kol will kill everyone and Stefan and Damon will take away our credibility" Katherine summarizes

"If we let them" Caroline nods

"I do not think that is fair, Stefan and Damon have always supported us and Elijah is not like his brothers" Elena says with a worried frown

"I am not interested in the well meaning of these Men, Elena. I am interested in the obstacle they may present to us returning the Mystic Kingdom to its former glory. No one can be allowed to get in our way, even the ones we love".

"Love does not exist for vampires" Katherine says with a touch of bitterness

"I cannot believe that" Elena says "but no matter, you are right Caroline. "

"Okay, so here is what we need to do…"

XXX

"My god Nik put a damn shirt on this is not a bloody whorehouse" Rebekah shrieks as her brother barrels through the front door of the palace.

"Where is Caroline?" he demands, disregarding her statement

"Probably somewhere enjoying the company of those who wear clothing and have bathed in the last 3 days" she sticks up her nose

"I am not in the mood Rebekah, tell me where my wife is"

The youngest original rolls her eyes "she is taking tea with her friends on her chamber balcony, if you were a gentleman you would let her finish before requesting her presence"

"Then it is a good thing I have never claimed to be a gentleman" he smirks, whooshing up the stairs, leaving Rebekah's indignant whining about propriety to go unheard.

Completely forgetting about his state of undress despite the fact that his sister had just pointed it out, Klaus bursts into Caroline's chambers, hearing the Pierce twins bickering immediately sobers him and he briefly considers returning later, but he cannot. He has to see her, feel her; he has to know that she is ok.

"Caroline" he says her name quietly, almost reverently but as soon as he does he hears every voice on the terrace stop except for the Bennett witch's _ah human hearing_ he muses.

"I must speak to him, you all know where to go now" he hears her voice and perhaps if he had been listening closer suspicion would have been aroused in his eternally untrusting mind, but he is deafened by the sound of her voice and immediately lets out a breath of air he had not realized he was holding. _She is alright._

He can hear the Pierce's and Bonnie quietly rise and walk off the balcony stairway into the gardens and then, the door opens and the English sun shines through into the dark room, but it is immediately dimmed, paling and seeming dull in comparison to the woman that steps through the double doors in her shimmering navy coloured gown. He is unsure about the colour, so dark it is almost black he feels as though he should not like his beacon of light being wrapped in such a dark colour but somehow it only makes her shine brighter; her pale skin illuminating in comparison to the dark fabric, her blonde curls a flawless halo as though she is an Angel who was sent to earth just for him.

"Caroline" he says her name again, softly.

"Niklaus" she greats "I heard the great pain it caused you to provide a cure for me. Thank you" she says formally and he cocks his head, hating this distant curt tone in her voice.

"As long as you are safe, I would do the same a thousand more times" he vows moving towards her.

Caroline's eyes widen but she stays in place, fighting impossibly to keep her composure while Klaus stands before her with his lean muscled chest bare "let us hope that will not be necessary" she jokes lightly

"I will find him. If Tyler Lockwood is still alive I will find him and I will tear his miserable head from his body wolf or no. I will eviscerate anyone who tries to stand between us, to take this Kingdom from me" he says, moving forward to capture the Queen's cheek in his hand, staring deeply into her eyes.

Caroline can feel herself waiver, her knees shake just a little at his proximity, feeling the heat emanating off his body as it presses against her own. It is only the power she sees in his eyes that brings her back, that raw sense of self-assuredness that allows him to make these promises. That knowledge that he truly can do whatever it is that he wants to whoever he wants "perhaps it is not wise to murder the crown Prince of England"

Klaus scoffs "I do not care who he is, nobody will take you from me, or this kingdom. Do not fear retaliation love, we have faced the English once we can do it again" he declares and Caroline shakes her head

"Why is it always a battle? What is it with you men, constantly needing to shed innocent blood in a feeble attempt to prove that you are the alpha male-"

"I do not have to prove anything love, I am the alpha male" he straightens, using the tone of voice that used to terrify her but now just makes her feel sorry for him.

"Not anymore" she stares up at him defiantly and starts to walk away

"What is that supposed to mean, Caroline" Klaus demands, reaching out to grab her arm before she can leave

Caroline smirks "Hmm" she hums quietly "I suppose you will just have to wait to find out".

XXX

The next day passes in tense solitude for everyone in the castle. Caroline hides in her chambers, feigning residual exhaustion from the wolf bite. Klaus tries to speak to her several times but she remains behind the locked wooden door and the King presumed she was still angry with him for the previous day's spat. It seems that is all they ever do is spin around in this constant circle of almost making progress only for him to say something that angers her and head immediately back to square one.

Elijah calls for Katherine in a moment of weakness late at night, requesting a maid bring her to him in the morning but he is told the door never opened when she arrived and he realizes the depth of his mistakes. His Katarina is not yet ready to speak of forgiveness. So be it, perhaps he could use the extra time to truly consider this relationship as well.

The Salvatore brothers take some much needed family time after hearing that Elena wished to be left alone, trying to figure out what a vampire Elena means, if she will now go back to trying to choose a brother, and what they are even still doing in the Mystic Kingdom when their responsibilities in Italy are calling.

Kol is the one in the most confusion over his loneliness, one moment he and Bonnie are running away together to be happy forever and then within days of returning to this place she has completely shut him out. It is baffling. Why will she not open her door? Why can he not find her anywhere? After a day and a half he has realized that something is not right.

"Niklaus I need to speak to you" the youngest brother demands knocking on the door of the King's studio

"I wish to be left alone Kol, whatever it is can wait until tomorrow"

"Respectfully, it cannot" he says stepping into the room "actually scratch that, not respectfully at all. We have a problem _your highness_ "

Klaus lets out an annoyed huff "very well brother, what is it?"

"I think the girls are up to something"

Klaus rolls his eyes visibly "do not be ridiculous, they are just sulking because the last days have not gone their way. Surely you lived with our sister long enough to know that when a woman is angry with you, giving them space is the best chance any of us have at forgiveness"

"But Bonnie is not angry with me. _I_ have not done anything. She has no reason to avoid me and yet her door has been closed for a day and a half" he argues

Just then a laugh echoes behind them both and they turn to see a smirking Rebekah "oh you boys truly are hilarious. To think that you would actually know when a woman is mad at you or what you did. I guarantee every single one of you does something unforgivable on a daily basis"

"Thank you for your dazzling insight that nobody asked for, Rebekah" Kol grits and before any of them can respond the unmistakable scrape of the massive front door sounds and the three sibling whoosh downstairs immediately, Elijah joining them in the foyer, all on guard against the potential threat. The person they see enter the castle, however is the last one they would have expected.


	25. Charmed, I'm sure

Chapter 25

Caroline smiles her brightest smile upon walking through the front door "what a welcoming party" she drawls " you should not have all gathered here just for me"

"Caroline?" Klaus asks, confused "I thought you were in your chambers"

"Oh I know you did" she smiles "you all thought that we were all in our chambers, just dramatically throwing ourselves onto over stuffed mattresses and sobbing in breaths as heavy as our corsets would allow us, just sulking over our complete inability to make any changes or do anything except get caught in all of our own fickle and unpredictable emotions"

"Miss Forbes, I think I speak for all of our siblings when I say that we are unsure of what you speak. We hold you and your ladies in the highest regard and only wished to give you all space to adjust to recent _changes._ "

"And I thank you for that Elijah, your nobility is admirable and has certainly been invaluable in the positive _changes_ that now encircle the Mystic Kingdom" she says with a smile

"What changes are you referring-" Elijah begins a question but Kol breaks in

"Where is Bonne?" he demands

"She is assuring safe passage for the twins, she will return shortly I promise you"

"Safe passage to where?" Klaus demands, clearly trying his best to keep his temper in check- though not quite succeeding.

"England of course" she smiles "their ship is only hours behind Prince Tyler's I have been informed. The timing should be ideal"

"The timing of _what"_ the king seethes

"Our peace deal with England. Tyler will arrive back on English shores along with those of his men who survive, crying defeat and bloody. It is in that moment of defeat that the Pierce ladies, long time friends of the English court will arrive with our terms for peace and secure a diplomatic, non-violent declaration of the Mystic Kingdom's complete independence"

"You sent them by themselves?" Elijah asks concerned, before Klaus can yell his protests "they could get hurt, what if the English-"

"They are _vampires_ Elijah, they will be perfectly safe. Besides, the wolves now believe that their bite is not lethal as legend predicted because I live. They know nothing of the sacrifice. There is no reason for England to reject our terms. Further, Richard Lockwood is a reasonable man unlike his hot-headed son and he will see that peace is the only option"

"How dare you" Klaus says quietly to his Queen "how dare you go behind my back to send terms that you very well know I do not agree with to another country. I will not agree to peace. England tried to destroy us and I intend to do the same. That great nation will be nothing but rubble and ash when I am done with it-"

"Niklaus" Caroline says, stopping his words with her tone "you will do no such thing. You will see the logic in this agreement and support my decision which will usher this kingdom into a new era of peace that it has not felt since the beginning of your reign. You will do this for the good of the people who deserve to live in a land without war."

"You are breaking our deal, love" he says deathly quiet, anger seeping into his tone "when you came to this throne room and offered yourself to me it was as a wife to prove legitimacy. You swore to never overstep my power. You are not the ruler of this country Caroline Forbes. I am"

Caroline leans her head slightly to the side and pins her husband to the wall with her gaze "say my name again" she says on a steady tone "Caroline _Forbes_ is the name that gives me right to this throne, that gives me right to make these decisions, that gives me right to rule this country. But it is not my name any more. My name is Caroline Mikaelson, and Caroline Mikaelson has not made any deals with you. Caroline Forbes was a scared human girl trying to protect her people, Caroline Forbes made a deal with you. But you killed Caroline Forbes. You slit her throat with a dagger and she was reborn Caroline Mikaelson, a vampire who has no obligation to you. I _am_ the rightful Queen of this country just as much as you are the King."

"And what were you doing while Bonnie secured passage for the Petrova wenches?" Klaus asks, ignoring her bold statement

"In the past days I have visited the square of every village in the kingdom, calling every one of our subjects for small meetings to assure them of the brave vanquishing of the English and _erase_ any suspicions of supernatural activity. I have spoken to my people and renewed their faith in the crown" she says proudly.

"Leave us" Klaus commands, waving his hand at his sibling who all depart the room with little protest. He turns to Caroline, expression not what she was expecting. He does not look angry; he looks… amused?

"You are wrong on one count, my Queen"

Caroline looks up at him "and what is that?"

"Caroline Mikaelson did make a deal with me" he says on a softer tone "she agreed in our throne room while the English attacked that if I spared the life of Tyler Lockwood, she would give me a chance. That we could start over and she would forget all of my previous transgression, in exchange for this act of mercy"

Caroline nods slowly "she did agree to that. And a Queen is nothing without her word, but I will only keep my word for a man who respects me. A man who understands that we rule this country as a team. A man who understands that all of the decisions I have made have been in the best interest of our shared country. For that man, I would be willing to start over. Are you that man?" she challenges.

Klaus' mouth quirks up in a soft smirk as he steps forward, reaching his hand out "Nikalsus Mikaelson, it is a pleasure to meet you my Queen"

Caroline smiles ever so slightly and places her hand in his, watching carefully as he raises it to his lips "charmed, I'm sure".

XXX

Bonnie tries to be as quiet as possible while sneaking back in through the servant's door in an effort to avoid having a certain conversation until tomorrow morning. She is simply too tired to argue right now.

"Welcome back darling" Kol's voice drawls from where he sits atop a counter, where he has been waiting for her to return for hours. Where he sat, knowing that she would try to sneak in the back

"Kol" she says with a tired but affectionate smile "please, can we discuss this in the morning? I am too tired to fight"

Kol can see the exhaustion in her eyes and he sighs, hopping easily off the counter to stand in front of her "I do not want to fight, Bonnie. I just... want an explanation" he says plainly

"An explanation about what?"

"About why you let me wander this castle for a day worrying myself sick, playing and re-playing our every conversation, trying to figure out why you would not talk to me, what I could have done that would be so heinous that you were not even speaking to me. I thought... I thought I may have lost you Bonnie, you cannot do that to me!" He raises his voice a little in desperation

Bonnie looks up at him, feeling horrible that he is so upset "I am sorry, truly I am but... I could not have told you. You know I could not have. You love your family, your family comes first and I understand that, but I could not ruin Caroline's plans by telling you of them. You would have told your brother's and I love you so much, but Caroline needed me. She needed me more than you did. We are doing a good thing for this kingdom and I will not be made to feel bad about that"

Kol narrows his eyes, his hand reaching for hers "you are right. Family does come first. It is my obligation to do right by my family, to make my family happy, to keep my family safe-"

"So you understand"

"No, I do not understand. But neither do you. You are my family now, Bonnie. My wife. That means that you come first, before anyone else. Whatever you want is the most important thing in the world to me." He says, pulling her closer "you are the most important thing in the world to me"

Bonnie swallows hard "Kol I- I am so sorry" she says, wrapping her arms around him "I am sorry I did not trust you, I should have. I should have told Caroline that I knew I could trust you." She pulls back to look up at him "you are the most important thing to me too. I am sorry I did not act like it"

Kol wipes a tear from her eyes and smiles "it is not your fault. It is this place, these people, my family. I love them but I have never been able to find true happiness while living with them. I tire of Niklaus' games" he sighs "come away with me" he says

"You know I cannot" she says sadly

"But you did. You did before-"

"Yes before. Before all of this happened, before Caroline and Katherine and Elena, before I saw everything Klaus was capable of. Before I saw how much they need me"

"I need you" he says sadly and Bonnie can feel her heart shatter "I need you. I need you to be with me and I need you to be happy. There is no happiness for us here. Only pain. Elijah will protect the ladies, you know he will and so will the Salvatore's. Please, Bonnie, they have taken enough from us. You have given them enough. For once in your life be a little selfish" he begs

Bonnie is not sure if it is his pleading eyes that do it or the promise of true happiness or just the fact that in this moment she cannot imagine any life that was not just her and him away from everything. Just them and a beautiful little town near the sea. Just them and their love for each other. Whatever it is, it encompasses her, possesses her in the best possible way to smile and kiss him and say

"Yes"

XXX

Caroline and Klaus have barely begun to speak when the door bursts open again and both Salvatore brothers barrel into the room like a shot out of a gun

"You know what no. No I am not going to leave" Stefan says, his stance agitated, his voice more angry and raised than she has ever heard him "Caroline you cannot just let him kick me out of the room and you cannot just send Elena off on a boat and not tell me!" he yells

Caroline is taken aback, surprised at the aggression her friend is displaying but before she can respond Klaus steps in front of her "I think you need to take a walk, mate"

"No" Caroline says "let me talk to him. To both of them"

"Oh yeah, call the attack dog off blondie" Damon rolls his eyes "and then maybe explain to us where in that tiny little brain you thought it was okay to send Elena away and not tell either of us!"

"I am sorry" Caroline says slowly, looking between the brothers "which one of you is married to Elena?" she waits a moment, watching the shock fall across their faces "oh no one is speaking up? Right, neither of you are married to her. Neither of you are betrothed to her. In fact, neither of you are even seeing her so maybe you can both take a step back and think about why she chose to leave the country"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Damon throws his hands out incredulously

"It means, that Elena is going through a massive change and is realizing that she cannot have everything she knew she wanted!" Caroline yells "and the last thing she needs right now is the two of you fighting over her like a couple of dogs with a damn bone because you think that her becoming a vampire means that she has to make a choice now, because news flash, she does not. She has to adjust to her new life, neither of you own her and neither of you needed to be notified of a choice that _she_ made and you certainly do not have the right to yell at me because of your own insecurities regarding Elena"

"What the hell do you know about either of our relationships with Elena" Damon glares at her

Caroline looks at him, tilting her head slightly "Elena was born 4 months before me. Those are the only 4 months of her entire life that she lived without me. There is not a month in my life that I have lived without her. So maybe I do not know everything about your relationship with Elena, but I can assure you that I do know everything about Elena, and I can also assure you that I do not care about your relationship with her. I care about _her._ And right now, neither of you are helping her through this very difficult time." Caroline sighs, looking at them "like it or not Elena loves you. Both of you. And she need you. Both of you. So when she comes back I really hope you can find a way to get over yourselves and be there for her"

Stefan looks at Caroline and shakes his head "sorry I yelled" he says, not entirely sounding like he means it

"Well I am not" Damon glares "just because you have known her forever does not mean you know her better than us or that you love her more"

"I never said I love her more. But I love her differently. I love her in a way that means I will never have to make her choose. Whatever choice she makes, I will love her. Can either of you say the same?"

"The thing that you learn about failing in love is that there is a point of no return." The voice that speaks is not one any of them would have expected "a point where you are just in it. You love them, whatever choice they make you love them. Even if their choice is to actively not return your affections. You are just… past the point of no return"

Caroline turns her head to look at her husband, her mouth forming the tiniest smile without her even knowing, she is about to speak when Stefan interrupts her

"He is right" he says "No matter who she chooses, I love her"

"Yeah well so do I" Damon breaks in angrily

"Then that is a problem we will all deal with when she returns" Caroline says, unconsciously moving closer to Klaus as she does.


	26. A Little Fresh Air

Chapter 26:

Elena reaches for Katherine's hand as they disembark the large ship that has been their home. Her sister's first reaction is of course to pull away, but upon seeing the line of English soldiers waiting for them she accepts the support and the two face the battalion.

"Good morning gentleman" Katherine greets easily

"Ladies" the captain greets "Please, follow me, his grace is expecting you"

"We have known you since before we could speak Alaric, perhaps we could dismiss with the formalities" Katherine remains strong as ever

"Forgive me, Lady Pierce, but the situation has changed and no one here is a child anymore"

"Very well, Captain Saltzman" she responds coolly and they follow him through the streets, Elena shrinking under the wary glares of early rising citizens while Katherine's face remains a mask of steely indifference right up until they enter the castle. Grand doors open in front of them, but the building offers no respite as they are greeted in passing by pointed glares and whispers from lords and ladies who had once played with them in the gardens of this palace or their kingdom's own. Men they might have some day married and women they might have someday called sister. How much life has changed since the carefree days of childhood, Katherine muses bitterly.

It feels like only moments before the final grand door opens and the twins are standing before Richard and Carol Lockwood.

"So, Caroline did not have the courage to come and face us herself and has sent you two in her place" Carol greets bitterly before the door has even closed

" _The Queen_ of The Mystic Kingdom is exactly where she belongs. In the Mystic Kingdom"

"There was a time when your _Queen_ promised that this kingdom was where she belonged so forgive us for not holding much credence to where she decides she does and does not belong"

"You do not know anything about-" Elena starts to angrily defend her friend but Katherine interrupts her

"Perhaps we could discuss these very delicate political matters in private," she says, turning her gaze to the row of soldiers lining the wall

"We would like to maintain our personal security" Richard speaks for the first time

"That is your right" Katherine says "though I will advise" she looks up at the king and wills the dark veins that rest beneath the surface of her face to show "anyone you do not want to know the _secret_ your family protects, you should dismiss"

the royals eyes open wide and Richard immediately clears his throat "everyone but Captain Saltzman is dismissed"

Once the room has cleared Carol speaks "It would appear vampirism is spreading across that little kingdom like a disease" she spits. Elena looks up in surprise and Carol shakes her head "we know a lot more than you think we do"

"Well wolves appear to be overpopulating your kingdom" Katherine shoots back

"This is a choice I would expect from you Katherine, you always were vain and selfish. But Elena, you surprise me. I thought you were better than this"

"You think I chose this" Elena says, dropping her sisters hand for the first time and stepping forward "I did not choose this life. This is the last thing I would want in the world. I am like this because of your son!" she yells "I am dead because your son attempted to commit regicide, a crime for which he could be executed in case you forgot"

"How dare you-" Carol speaks up

"No how dare you!" Elena yells, shocking the room into silence, because Elena does not yell. Ever. "The Mystic Kingdom has proven once before that we can defeat an English fleet. We are stronger than you whether you look down your nose at the reason for our strength or not. We have the ability to level your kingdom to the ground and your Prince tried to kill our Queen. It is within our legal right to demand that he come down from whatever room you have hidden him in like a small child and take him back to the land of his crimes to answer for them." She pauses, making sure her message is landing "but we are not asking for that. We are only asking that you leave us alone. We are a free and independent kingdom and always have been. We no longer have an heir to offer in marriage, we only have a Queen. A Queen who is extending this offer of peace to you as a one-time offer. If you reject this offer, we will come for you."

Carol is clearly about to fire acid back at Elena but Richard raises his right hand "Captain Saltzman, return the Pierce Ladies to their ship. No residents of the Mystic Kingdom are welcome on English soil from this day forward."

"Are you certain you want to make such a grand deceleration, your grace? It would be unwise to cut trade ties entirely. We are not unreasonable and we are not seeking a war. We simply want freedom from English attacks" Katherine says carefully

"I can assure you that we do not want anything that comes out of your wretched little kingdom of the damned"

"Very well. It is settled then, ours will be the last ship to pass from England to the Mystic kingdom or vice versa" Katherine asserts

"It is agreed" he says

As the girls are ushered out of the ballroom, Alaric waits until the doors shut firmly behind them and takes the opportunity when there are no guards around to silently hug Elena and then Katherine "you have grown so much" he says, nostalgically

"We are not children anymore" Katherine responds slightly bitterly, not prepared to forgive his earlier slight

Alaric smiles down and them "yes you are. You will always be children to me, all of you. Please, tell me Caroline, Stefan, and Damon are well?"

"so now you care all of a sudden?" Katherine accuses before Elena can respond

"I have always cared. It would not be wise to allow other guards to hear that though, would it? We are at war after all"

"Not anymore" Elena says, reaching for his hand "Alaric you were like a second father to all of us, if you want to see how everyone is then come see them" she says, a hint of mischief in her eyes

"Elena how could you even suggest such a thing, it would be-"

"you will come to learn that I am no longer much for following the rules" she responds easily "besides you heard what we just agreed to. This is the last ship that will ever go between our two kingdoms. I would like you to be on it and I know Caroline, Stefan and Damon would as well"

Alaric shakes his head "I do not see you all for a matter of a few years and look at the trouble you have managed to get yourselves into"

"Oh come on" Katherine starts to walk, grabbing for Alaric's arm and dragging him behind her "we all know you like us better than the Lockwood brat, we don't have a captain of our army, and we all know how much you want to come with us and continue your torrid love affair with Damon so stop talking and get on the damn boat"

Alaric laughs at her abrasiveness "at least some things never change" he smiles "Carol and Richard will not be pleased"

"And we are supposed to care about that because?" Elena asks, clearly not the biggest fan of the English monarchs

Alaric looks up at the twins, grabbing Katherine's hand in his left and Elena's in his right he smiles, says "good point" and they all make a mad dash for the harbour.

XXX

"You keep finding reasons to put this off darling" Kol whines as Bonnie enters his bedroom

"I am not, I think it is reasonable to want to say goodbye to my best friends since childhood, and that is sort of difficult to do when they are across the sea" she says, moving to sit beside him. His arm wraps easily around her but the scowl does not drop from his face

"It is not like we will never come back. We will visit."

"Yes and each time we visit I will also insist on saying goodbye because I am a decent civilized human being who was not raised in the woods"

he smirks "If only you had been, maybe I wouldn't have left so often"

"Kat and Elena will be back before long and then we will sail off into the sunset. Again" she smiles, looking up to see he is still surly. She pokes him in the side of his rib and laughs "so, where are you going to take me first?"

He looks down at her, sighing "you are not clever darling, I see what you are trying to do"

"Maybe you should just let me do it" she breathes

he huffs out a breath and nods his head "alright, well- where would you like to go?"

She hums a little, drawing circles on his chest with her finger "somewhere warm and far"

"What about Spain?" he wonders allowed "you would love Barcelona, the city is absolutely dripping in magic, witches play out on the streets and no one bats an eye

"That sounds too good to be true" Bonnie smiles looking up at him

He brushes a hand through her hair and kisses the top of her forehead "Spain it is then"

XXX

"What did you want to show me?" Caroline asks, stepping cautiously into the grand studio, which is covered top to bottom in priceless paintings.

Klaus looks up from his easel with a soft smile "you came"

"I do know how to read a note," she says looking up to the beautiful landscape portrait in front of her

"I was concerned more about your will than your capability"

She looks up at him "I promised you a new start"

Klaus pauses his movements and sets the brush down, moving out from behind the painting to stand in front of her. Caroline feels like she might burn under the intensity of his gaze, he looks at her as though she is a puzzle he is trying to piece together. He raises a hand carefully, gauging her reaction as he brushes a piece of hair out of her face and rests his hand on the back of her neck "I am pleased that you are so true to your word, my Queen".

Caroline takes a sharp breath in, body growing hot from his proximity. She clears her throat and breaks the overpowering eye contact "so, I will ask again- what did you want to show me? More sappy drawings of how perfectly the light hits my hair?" she teases him, pulling back to look around the room again

"Not exactly- though I do have plenty of those if you'd prefer"

"How can I know what I will prefer before I hear the other option"

"A fair point" he agrees, holding out his hand to her, which she accepts and he leads her to the far left corner of the room where a large canvas is leaned against the wall covered by a white sheet "there were some things that my sister had put into storage and I thought there may be more blank canvases so I went back and I- well, I thought you would like to have this" he says stepping forward, pulling the sheet down in one quick movement.

The breath is knocked out of Caroline's body and she feels her hand fly up to her mouth to conceal a sob at the painting. "I remember this" she says moving forward to put her hand on the rough canvas, smiling through tears as she looks upon the perfectly immortalized portrait of her little family "I remembers sitting for it. I was 10 years old, it was supposed to be just me, it-it was a birthday gift but when the painter arrived I was too bored to sit still so I made my mom sit with me and then I made my nanny find daddy and insisted he was in it to" as she talks the tears start coming harder but she also starts smiling even more "they kept trying to insist it had to be just me but I stomped my foot so hard that it scuffed the bottom of my shoe" she moves her hand down to trace the tiny mark of black on the younger version of herself's otherwise white shoes "and I just said 'it's my birthday present so I can do whatever I want with it' and that was it. It was a family portrait"

Klaus' breath has slowed and the room fell completely silent except for Caroline's quiet tears and the sound of fingers tracing canvas "they would be proud of you" he says quietly

She laughs "no, they would not" Caroline shakes her head and wipes at her tears, still smiling "they hated how stubborn I was. They never wanted me to actually rule a kingdom. They would have fainted to see the stunt I pulled with the ladies last week"

Klaus laughs "I think we all almost fainted at that one, love"

"Thank you" she says, running a hand over the image of her mother "can I have it hung in my chambers?"

"I think for the rest of our very long lives, we can both dispense with the notion that anyone, least of all me, has the ability to tell you what you can and cannot do"

Caroline smiles "I was trying to be nice, fresh start and all"

Klaus tilts his head a little "I would never want you to change who you are, Caroline. I just did not want you to hate me anymore"

She looks up at him, stepping a little closer she presses her lips against his cheek "I do not"

XXX

Rebekah is walking through one of the many hallways in the castle, running her hand along the brick in boredom. The kingdom was saved, the English would be retreating in a matter of days, their thrones were all secured, so… why was she not happy? Is this not everything she had always wanted? It should be enough, and yet she is no more happy now than when she was living in the woods, perhaps less so. At least then she always had her brothers. She should have known really, Kol ran off at the first sight of a girl why would Elijah and Niklaus not do the same. _Men,_ she thinks, rolling her eyes.

Rebekah is still sulking when she turns a corner and comes upon a certain impeccably dressed brother "think of the devil" she whispers by way of greeting

"I am not sure I understand, sister" Elijah responds with a furrowed brow

"I was just thinking about how I never see you or Niklaus anymore and then here you are" she says

"What do you mean? We see each other all the time. We live under the same roof, Rebekah"

"Do we?" she asks with a huff "it does not feel like it"

"My apologies if you have felt neglected. There have been many important matters to attend to"

"Do not speak to me like I am stupid Elijah. I know very well how many important things have happened"

"What is this really about, Rebekah, I do not have time for games"

"Of course not, you barely have time for me!" she shouts "and do not blame work, you have barely spoken to any of us since your spat with that useless unoriginal faced bitch"

"Watch your language Rebekah" he says with a tight jaw

"Oh my God" she breathes out in shock "you still love her? After everything that she has done you still love the girl"

"None of us living in this castle are anywhere close to perfect, need I remind you"

"Maybe not but we love each other! None of us would ever be so selfish-"

Elijah scoffs "you talk about selfishness? The only person Katerina killed to achieve her desire was herself. We killed an entire castle of guards and staff just to wear crowns"

"We did it for family, for mother and father, to avenge our legacy. We did not steal anything, we merely took what should have been ours in the first place!"

"We cared about no one but ourselves. That is selfish. I have no regrets, but do not attempt to claim a sainthood that we do not posses. All of us under this roof are lost, perhaps we should find happiness wherever we can"

Rebekah shakes her head, unsure what to say. She wants her brother to be happy, and on some level she can even understand but she has never seen him so cynical before. Lectures and questions are not what he needs at this moment. "Do what you must to be happy brother. Lord knows the rest of this family is"

"And what about you, sister. What would make you happy"

Rebekah looks up at him with a sad expression, holding his gaze for a moment before replying "only that which I cannot have, it would seem"

Elijah looks at her with a sad but knowing look "might I suggest looking outside the walls of this castle. A little fresh air never hurt anyone".


End file.
